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 →

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 →
• «Treat others as you would like to be treated» is a famous maxim. tree →
• My dad lives by the maxim «Better safe than sorry». tree →
• We wrote our own maxims for the classroom wall. tree →
• The old maxim says «Practice makes perfect». tree →
• Each chapter begins with a maxim. tree →
• Yes, there was written long ago the good old maxim: 'Think on the great moving-day of death!' That is a serious thought. tree →

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, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.