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
One maxim that should be etched into the walls of all scientific institutions is to visualize your data.
—
Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2023
The same maxim applies to success in the car business.
—Fred M.h. Gregory, Car and Driver, 12 July 2023
Chloe Ellingson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Time is money, and Shopify Inc. wants its workers to understand that maxim applies to pointless meetings, too.
—Mia Gindis, Fortune, 12 July 2023
In financial terms, Hume’s work lay behind the maxim that past performance is not a guide to the future.
—Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2023
David Kawai/Bloomberg E-COMMERCE Shopify details the cost of useless meetings
Time is money, and Shopify wants its workers to understand that maxim applies to pointless meetings, too.
—BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2023
In fact, matching her purse to her shoes was an '80s styling maxim that Lady Di continued to wear in later years.
—Nuria Luis, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2023
Writing about music is like dancing about architecture, the maxim goes.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 21 Feb. 2023
There’s a maxim here that dentists follow, an immutable rule of numb: Make sure that your laughter is louder than the sound of your drill.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 12 July 2023
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Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 7 Sep. 2023
The same maxim applies to success in the car business.
—Fred M.h. Gregory, Car and Driver, 12 July 2023
Chloe Ellingson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Time is money, and Shopify Inc. wants its workers to understand that maxim applies to pointless meetings, too.
—Mia Gindis, Fortune, 12 July 2023
In financial terms, Hume’s work lay behind the maxim that past performance is not a guide to the future.
—Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2023
David Kawai/Bloomberg E-COMMERCE Shopify details the cost of useless meetings
Time is money, and Shopify wants its workers to understand that maxim applies to pointless meetings, too.
—BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2023
In fact, matching her purse to her shoes was an '80s styling maxim that Lady Di continued to wear in later years.
—Nuria Luis, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2023
Writing about music is like dancing about architecture, the maxim goes.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 21 Feb. 2023
There’s a maxim here that dentists follow, an immutable rule of numb: Make sure that your laughter is louder than the sound of your drill.
—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 12 July 2023
See More
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.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near maxim
Cite this Entry
“Maxim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maxim. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
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Kids 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
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