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"
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
Sarr’s advocates counter with one of basketball’s maxims: Young centers, especially lanky ones such as Sarr, usually require more time to develop physically than perimeter players.
—
Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
And how does Simonson feel about my own Martini maxim: that it must be served with an odd number of olives, while an even number represents the apocalypse.
—Adam Morganstern, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The Sonicare brushing app is proof that this maxim couldn’t be truer.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2025
If the old maxim is true that everything’s bigger in Texas, then BEVO is living, breathing proof of it.
—Alison Bonaguro, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maxim
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Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
And how does Simonson feel about my own Martini maxim: that it must be served with an odd number of olives, while an even number represents the apocalypse.
—Adam Morganstern, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The Sonicare brushing app is proof that this maxim couldn’t be truer.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2025
If the old maxim is true that everything’s bigger in Texas, then BEVO is living, breathing proof of it.
—Alison Bonaguro, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maxim
Cite this Entry
“Maxim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maxim. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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
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