maximum

play

noun max·i·mum \ ˈmak-s(ə-)məm \

Definition of maximum

plural maxima play \-sə-mə\ or maximums play \-s(ə-)məmz\

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

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maximum

adjective

See maximum defined for English-language learners

See maximum defined for kids

Recent Examples of maximum from the Web

For instance, the lifetime learning credit is for a maximum of $2,000 per tax return (rather than per student), qualifying income limits are lower and the credit is not refundable.

— ann carrns, New York Times, "A $2,500 Tax Credit for Students Has a Few Pitfalls," 18 Aug. 2017
The eclipse will begin in Laurel around 1:17 p.m., reach its maximum at 2:42 p.m. and end at 4:01 p.m.

— Laurel Leader, "St. Mark's to celebrate Laurel's oldest festival [Old Town Laurel]," 16 Aug. 2017
The airlines that use KCI had previously committed to a maximum of $85.2 million in annual payments to an airport funding plan.

— steve vockrodt, kansascity, "Burns & McDonnell’s KCI proposal: Quick construction leads to big savings," 14 Aug. 2017
In real life, multideck airplanes top out at a maximum of two decks.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "The Incredible, Impossible, Fake Airliners of YouTube," 7 Aug. 2017
In the Los Angeles area, the eclipse will begin at 9:05 a.m. and end at 11:43 a.m. When the eclipse is at its maximum, around 10:20 a.m., about 62 percent of the sun will be covered.

— lisa beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, "3 Places to Watch the Solar Eclipse in LA So You Don’t Feel Alone in This Unforgiving Universe," 31 July 2017
After hearing pleas from the defense for the minimum sentence of 15 years and requests from the prosecution and victim's family for the maximum, Hall handed down the life sentence.

— jonece starr dunigan, AL.com, "Mississippi man killed in wreck involving 2 tractor trailers in Greene County," 26 July 2017
The app will continue to record, and when you're done (after a maximum of 60 seconds) the series will appear in the form of thumbnails at the bottom of the screen.

— zoë weiner, Teen Vogue, "Snapchat Adds Multi-Snap and Tint Brush Features," 18 July 2017
Ms. Malliotakis’s filing also included two donations of $4,950 — the maximum allowed under the city’s campaign finance rules — from Republican backers of President Trump’s campaign: Robert Mercer, a wealthy financier, and his daughter, Rebekah.

— william neuman and j. david goodman, New York Times, "De Blasio Keeps Fund-Raising Lead, but a Republican Makes Some Gains," 17 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maximum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of maximum

Latin, neuter of maximus biggest — more at maxim

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1663

See Words from the same year

maximum Synonyms

Synonyms

max, most, outside

Antonyms

least, minimum

Related Words

best, ultimate, utmost; extreme

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

MAXIMUM Defined for English Language Learners

maximum

play

noun

Definition of maximum for English Language Learners

: the highest number or amount that is possible or allowed

MAXIMUM Defined for Kids

maximum

play

noun max·i·mum \ ˈmak-sə-məm \

Definition of maximum for Students

plural maxima \-sə-mə\ or maximums

:the highest value :greatest amount

We had to pay the maximum.

maximum

adjective

Definition of maximum for Students

:as great as possible in amount or degree

We work with maximum efficiency.

maximum

adverb

Definition of maximum for Students

:at the most

… it will only take her two minutes—maximum—to get home.
—Betsy Byars, The Computer Nut

Medical Dictionary

maximum

play

noun max·i·mum \ ˈmak-s(ə-)məm \

medical Definition of maximum

plural maxima play \-sə-mə\ or maximums

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)

—

maximum

adjective

Learn More about maximum

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for maximum Spanish Central: Translation of maximum Nglish: Translation of maximum for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of maximum for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about maximum

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Origin and Etymology of maximum

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MAXIMUM Defined for English Language Learners

maximum

Definition of maximum for English Language Learners

MAXIMUM Defined for Kids

maximum

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maximum

Definition of maximum for Students

maximum

Definition of maximum for Students

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maximum

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maximum

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