maxim en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman maxime and Middle French maxime, from Late Latin maxima (“axiom”), noun use of the feminine singular form of Latin maximus (apparently as used in the phrase prōpositiō maxima (“greatest premise”)). Doublet of maxima.
Meanings
- (archaic) A self-evident axiom or premise; a pithy expression of a general principle or rule.
-
A precept; a succinct statement or observation of a rule of conduct or moral teaching.
Those maxims lurch through my head like rivers of lava. Those smarmy, know-it-all maxims. Trivia disguised as deeply held wisdom.
2024 May 6, Lt Flops, “Pursuing Ghosts, Part II”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 02 Jun 2024:It was impossible to imagine anything more cold or comfortless, while it was a task of no small dexterity to thread your way through the labyrinth of trunks, bandboxes, &c.; for it had of late years become a maxim with Lady Anne that nothing ought to be thrown or given away:...
1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter V, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 42:In every age and country of the world men must have attended to the characters, designs, and actions of one another, and many reputable rules and maxims for the conduct of human life, must have been laid down and approved of by common consent.
1776, Wealth of Nations, archived from the original on 26 Jun 2008, page 768:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| maxims | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
submaxim · Shannon's maxim · supermaxim · maxim worker · Skinner's maxim
Relateds
apophthegm · aphorism · adage
Synonyms
Synonym: aphorism (precept, succinct statement) · enthymeme · cliche · saying · proverb
Translations (39)
ro maximă (moral precept) · cs maxim (moral precept) · cmn 金言 (moral precept) · it massima (moral precept) · es máxima (moral precept) · nb leveregel (moral precept) · ar حِكْمَة (moral precept) · cmn 警句 (moral precept) · cs poučka (moral precept) · ru ма́ксима (moral precept) · fr maxime (moral precept) · it principio (moral precept) · no maksime (moral precept) · cmn 箴言 (moral precept) · pl maksyma (moral precept) · da maksime (moral precept) · no leveregel (moral precept) · de Maxime (moral precept) · bg сентенция (moral precept) · la ēlogium (moral precept) · ja 格言 (moral precept) · tl pananabi (moral precept) · sv maxim (moral precept) · cmn 格言 (moral precept) · ru сенте́нция (moral precept) · ru изрече́ние (moral precept) · th คติบท (moral precept) · pt máxima (moral precept) · mk максима (moral precept) · cmn 座右銘 /座右铭 (moral precept) · de Grundsatz (moral precept) · eo maksimo (moral precept) · fi maksiimi (moral precept) · mk начело (moral precept) · nb maksime (moral precept) · ro maxime (moral precept) · ko 격언 (moral precept) · eo sentenco (moral precept) · la dictum (moral precept)