1
: a general truth, fundamental principle, or rule of conduct
Mother's favorite maxim was "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."
2
: a proverbial saying
advised her daughter with the maxim "marry in haste, repent at leisure"
Synonyms
Examples of maxim in a Sentence
it's a common maxim that “a watched pot never boils,” but that's not literally true
Recent Examples on the Web
The maxim has been used by astrologers to describe the influence of planets on our lives; by culture writers to excuse flakiness during the holidays; and by Madonna to credit guardian angels for her survival after a dangerous fall.
—
Sam Corbin, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Larry doesn’t have time for that, and unleashes what is essentially the maxim for the entire series — and maybe David’s entire career.
—Esther Zuckerman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
That maxim was upended last year, according to Johnny Chiang, a SiriusXM vice president of music programming who previously spent 20 years programing terrestrial country radio.
—Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Nowhere is this wise maxim truer these days than in the realm of green energy, where the headlong quest for a carbon-free economy has collided with other cultural, social, and environmental forces.
—Michael Rosen, National Review, 28 Mar. 2024
To borrow a real estate maxim, homeless shelters are all about location, location, location.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Her Paris home appears to conform to Dior’s decorating maxims too.
—Ellie Pithers, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024
There was a maxim in cryptography, often referred to as Schneier’s law after the cryptographer Bruce Schneier.
—Andy Greenberg, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024
Folks, find your place in our fine American experiment, and kindly refrain from demanding another Hallmark-card maxim as your starting place.
—Chuck Moebus, WSJ, 18 Dec. 2023
Sam Corbin, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Larry doesn’t have time for that, and unleashes what is essentially the maxim for the entire series — and maybe David’s entire career.
—Esther Zuckerman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
That maxim was upended last year, according to Johnny Chiang, a SiriusXM vice president of music programming who previously spent 20 years programing terrestrial country radio.
—Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Nowhere is this wise maxim truer these days than in the realm of green energy, where the headlong quest for a carbon-free economy has collided with other cultural, social, and environmental forces.
—Michael Rosen, National Review, 28 Mar. 2024
To borrow a real estate maxim, homeless shelters are all about location, location, location.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Her Paris home appears to conform to Dior’s decorating maxims too.
—Ellie Pithers, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024
There was a maxim in cryptography, often referred to as Schneier’s law after the cryptographer Bruce Schneier.
—Andy Greenberg, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024
Folks, find your place in our fine American experiment, and kindly refrain from demanding another Hallmark-card maxim as your starting place.
—Chuck Moebus, WSJ, 18 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maxim.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near maxim
Cite this Entry
“Maxim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maxim. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
maxim
noun
max·im
ˌmak-səm 
1
: a general truth or rule of conduct
2
: a proverbial saying
Biographical Definition
Maxim 1 of 2
biographical name (1)
Max·im
ˈmak-səm
Sir Hiram Stevens 1840–1916 British (American-born) inventor
Maxim
2 of 2biographical name (2)
Hudson 1853–1927 brother of Hiram Maxim American inventor
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share