Etymology

maxim

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Today it means: A self-evident axiom or premise; a pithy expression of a general principle or rule. Full definition →

Anglo-Norman maxime ← Middle French maxime ← Late Latin maxima
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maxim · noun1

  1. Latin · derived frommaximus
  2. Late Latin · derived frommaxima“axiom”
  3. Middle French · derived frommaxime
  4. Anglo-Norman · derived frommaxime
  5. English todaymaxim

From Anglo-Norman maxime and Middle French maxime, from Late Latin maxima (“axiom”), noun use of the feminine singular form of Latin maximus (apparently as used in the phrase prōpositiō maxima (“greatest premise”)). Doublet of maxima.

maxim · noun2

Named after American and British inventor Hiram Maxim (1840–1916).

Maxim · proper noun, noun3

* As a given name, from Latin Maximus (“greatest”), superlative of magnus (“great”). Borne by several early Christian saints. * As a French or Dutch surname, from the given name. * For the machine gun, named after American and British inventor Hiram Maxim (1840–1916).

Words from the same roots

Latinmaximus all →

Maximusmaxi-

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.