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# maxim

«maxim» in Mova's school dictionary: **a short, wise saying that gives a rule about how to…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (a maxim, maxims)

### meaning for a pupil

A maxim is a short, wise saying that gives a rule about how to behave or live. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maxim/#m1)

### sense in the lessons

In English and ethics lessons: maxims like «Honesty is the best policy» or «Look before you leap». In stories: a character who lives by a maxim. Close to proverb and motto.

### examples

- Grandma's favourite maxim is «Waste not, want not». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maxim/#x1)
- «Treat others as you would like to be treated» is a famous maxim. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maxim/#x2)
- My dad lives by the maxim «Better safe than sorry». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maxim/#x3)
- We wrote our own maxims for the classroom wall. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maxim/#x4)
- The old maxim says «Practice makes perfect». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maxim/#x5)
- Each chapter begins with a maxim. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maxim/#x6)
- Yes, there was written long ago the good old maxim: 'Think on the great moving-day of death!' That is a serious thought. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maxim/#x7)

### note

Countable. Similar: proverb (traditional saying), motto (a rule chosen by a person or group), saying. Do not confuse with «maximum» (the most).

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «maxim» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/maxim/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.