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 their children 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
Everything bops breezily along, stopping occasionally to have Dek growl maxims about strength through domination, and observe a decapitation or two.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Visitors who travel down a dirt road to The Hollow — named for the hollow-core concrete that made Mellor wealthy — can enter the compound through a dark, cavernous passage lined with neon signs illuminating maxims from the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Flynn.
—Arthur Allen, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Visitors who travel down a dirt road to The Hollow — named for the hollow-core concrete that made Mellor wealthy — can enter the compound through a dark, cavernous passage lined with neon signs illuminating maxims from the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Flynn.
—Arthur Allen, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for maxim
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Visitors who travel down a dirt road to The Hollow — named for the hollow-core concrete that made Mellor wealthy — can enter the compound through a dark, cavernous passage lined with neon signs illuminating maxims from the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Flynn.
—Arthur Allen, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Visitors who travel down a dirt road to The Hollow — named for the hollow-core concrete that made Mellor wealthy — can enter the compound through a dark, cavernous passage lined with neon signs illuminating maxims from the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Flynn.
—Arthur Allen, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for maxim
Cite this Entry
“Maxim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maxim. Accessed 15 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share