Make Your Point: MAXIM

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pronounce MAXIM:

MAX um

connect this word to others:

Any short statement that expresses a tidbit of truth and wisdom can be labeled a maxim, an adage, an axiom, a truism, a proverb, or an aph__ism. (Can you recall that last synonym?)

For example, here's a maxim from Ian Fleming's Goldfinger: "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action."

And here's The Economist: "P_____son's Law consisted of two maxims: an official wants to multiply subordinates, not rivals; and officials make work for each other." (Can you recall the full name of that "law"? Expressed differently, it dictates that the work you have to do will expand to fill all the time you have to do it.)

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

In Latin, the phrases maxima propositio and maxima sententarium mean, approximately, "the greatest premise, greatest proposition, or greatest statement of truth."

Around the year 1450, we shortened those phrases and brought them into English as "maxim," using them to mean "a statement of general law" and "a statement of self-evident truth."

That second meaning has really stuck around. Today, a maxim is a short, wise, truthful, helpful, or useful statement.

Examples of maxims include "Garbage in, garbage out;" "Reduce, reuse, recycle;" and "Never punch down."

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, the countable kind: "They carved that maxim over the door;" "She embroidered maxims onto pillows."

Other forms:

Just the plural, "maxims," is common.

Although I'd love to find us an adjective that isn't "maximal," which always means "largest, greatest, highest" rather than "like a maxim," I can't seem to find one in a dictionary. I suggest we use "maxim-like" or "maximatic" and see if either catches on.

how to use it:

The word "maxim" is common and formal, with a positive tone.

You might talk about people who repeat maxims, obey maxims, believe in maxims, live their lives by maxims, or reduce complex ideas to simple maxims.

examples:

"There's an age-old maxim in the black community: You've got to be twice as good to get half as far."
— Michelle Obama, Becoming, 2018

"There is a maxim in the advertising business that an advertisement has to be seen at least six times before anyone will remember it."
— Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point, 2000

has this page helped you understand "maxim"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "maxim" without saying "motto" or "precept."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) has a profound grasp of the maxim that (something is true)."

Example 1: "My mom had a profound grasp of the maxim that someone else will always be more skilled than you, so it's best to focus on getting better, period—not getting better than someone else."

Example 2: "[William Pierce Rogers] has displayed a profound grasp of the maxim that, in public affairs, the appearance of things is often as important as the substance of things."
— John Osborne, Life, 10 November 1958

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is Palindromes in Poems: Yay!

Check out the snippet of a poem, and supply the missing palindrome: the word spelled the same backward and forward, like "yay," "sees," or "racecar." Highlight the hints if you need them, and see the answer by scrolling all the way down. Enjoy!

Try this one today:
"But with a torn _____ cuff, even an elegant fawn
Has to go through shoulder seizures to get his jacket on."
— Frederick Seidel, "Me," 2016

To reveal the hints below, highlight the hidden white text.

Hint 1: The number of letters in this palindrome is... seven.
Hint 2: The letter that this palindrome starts and ends with is... "R."

review this word:

1. The opposite of a MAXIM could be a statement that's

A. terse, amusing, and edgy.
B. vague, useless, and long-winded.
C. precise, detailed, and mathematical.

2. Knowing the etymology of the word "maxim," we could figure out that the first names "Maxim" and "Maximus" literally mean "_____."

A. the heaviest
B. the greatest
C. the smartest

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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