Main Entry: max·i·mum

Pronunciation: \ˈmak-s(ə-)məm\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural max·i·ma \-sə-mə\ or maximums \-s(ə-)məmz\

Etymology: Latin, neuter of maximus biggest — more at maxim

Date: 1740

1 a : the greatest quantity or value attainable or attained b : the period of highest, greatest, or utmost development
2 : an upper limit allowed (as by a legal authority) or allowable (as by the circumstances of a particular case)
3 : the largest of a set of numbers; specifically : the largest value assumed by a real-valued continuous function defined on a closed interval

— maximum adjective