maximum

See also: Maximum

English

Etymology

Via French from Latin maximum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmæksɪməm/
• Hyphenation: max‧i‧mum

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

maximum (plural maxima or maximums)

1. The highest limit.
   • 1806, P. Colquhoun, A Treatise on Indigence:

     This is the fundamental principle of good legislation. It is the art of conducting a nation to the maximum of happiness and the minimum of misery

2. (mathematics) The greatest value of a set or other mathematical structure, especially the global maximum or a local maximum of a function.
3. (mathematical analysis) An upper bound of a set which is also an element of that set.
4. (statistics) The largest value of a batch or sample or the upper bound of a probability distribution.
5. (snooker) A 147 break; the highest possible break.

   Synonyms: 147, maximum break

6. (colloquial, darts) A score of 180 with three darts.
7. (colloquial, cricket) A scoring shot for 6 runs.
8. (colloquial) maximum security
   • 1983 April 23, Alice Thompson, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 15:

     I just got out of maximum where I did 4 months for an arguent I had in the serving area.

Usage notes

• Maxima is the more common plural, especially for the technical senses.

Synonyms

• max

Antonyms

• minimum

Hypernyms

• (statistics): measure of location
• extremum

Translations

highest limit

• Afrikaans: maksimum
• Armenian: մաքսիմում (hy) (makʻsimum)
• Bulgarian: максимум (bg) m (maksimum)
• Catalan: màxim (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 最大 (zh) (zuìdà), 極大 / 极大 (zh) (jídà)

• Czech: maximum (cs) n
• Esperanto: maksimumo
• Finnish: maksimi (fi), yläraja
• French: maximum (fr) m
• Galician: máximo (gl) m
• Georgian: მაქსიმუმი (maksimumi), არაუმეტესი (araumeṭesi)
• German: Maximum (de) n, höchstmöglich
• Greek: ανώτατο όριο n (anótato ório), άκρον άωτον (el) n (ákron áoton)
• Hebrew: מַקסִימוּם m (maximum), מֵרַב (he) m (mēráv)
• Hindi: अधिकतम (hi) (adhiktam), सबसे ज़्यादा (sabse zyādā)
• Ido: maximo (io)
• Indonesian: maksimum (id), plafon (id), pagu (id)
• Italian: massimo (it) m
• Japanese: 最大 (ja) (さいだい, saidai), 極大 (ja) (きょくだい, kyokudai)
• Latin: maximum (la)
• Malay: maksimum (ms)
• Māori: mōrahi, tihi
• Persian: بیشینه (fa) (bišine), ماکسیمم (fa) (mâksimom)
• Polish: maksimum (pl)
• Portuguese: máximo (pt) m
• Romanian: maximum (ro), maxim (ro) n
• Russian: ма́ксимум (ru) m (máksimum)
• Spanish: máximo (es) m, máximum m
• Swedish: maximum (sv) n
• Telugu: గరిష్ఠం (gariṣṭhaṁ)
• Turkish: en fazla
• Vietnamese: cực điểm (vi)
• Welsh: uchafswm (cy)

math: greatest value

• Asturian: máximu m
• Bulgarian: максимум (bg) m (maksimum)
• Catalan: màxim (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 最大值 (zh) (zuìdàzhí)

• Czech: maximum (cs) n
• Finnish: maksimi (fi), suurin arvo
• French: maximum (fr) m (plural maxima (fr) m or maximums (fr) m)
• Galician: máximo (gl) m
• German: Maximum (de) n
• Hindi: अधिकतम (hi) (adhiktam)
• Hungarian: maximum (hu)
• Indonesian: maksimum (id)
• Italian: massimo (it) m
• Māori: mōrahi
• Persian: بیشینه (fa) (bišine), ماکسیمم (fa) (mâksimom)
• Portuguese: máximo (pt) m
• Russian: ма́ксимум (ru) m (máksimum)
• Spanish: máximo (es) m, máximum m (rare)
• Swedish: maximum (sv) n
• Tagalog: higdulan
• Telugu: గరిష్ఠం (gariṣṭhaṁ)
• Vietnamese: cực đại

statistics: largest value of a batch

• Finnish: maksimiarvo, suurin arvo
• Māori: mōrahi
• Persian: ماکسیمم (fa) (mâksimom)
• Russian: ма́ксимум (ru) m (máksimum)
• Spanish: máximum m
• Swedish: maximum (sv) n

Adjective

maximum (not comparable)

1. To the highest degree.

   Synonym: maximal

   Use the proper dose for the maximum effect.

Translations

highest degree

• Bulgarian: максимален (bg) (maksimalen)
• Catalan: màxim (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 最大 (zh) (zuìdà), 極大 / 极大 (zh) (jídà)

• Finnish: maksimi- (fi), maksimaalinen (fi), mahdollisimman suuri
• French: maximum (fr), maximal (fr)
• German: maximal (de)
• Greek: ανώτατος (el) m (anótatos), μέγιστος (el) m (mégistos)
• Hindi: अधिकतम (hi) (adhiktam)
• Ido: maxima (io)
• Italian: massimo (it) m
• Japanese: 最大 (ja) (さいだい, saidai), 極大 (ja) (きょくだい, kyokudai)
• Kazakh: ең жоғары (eñ joğary)
• Malayalam: പരമാവധി (ml) (paramāvadhi)
• Marathi: जास्तीत जास्त (jāstīt jāsta), कमाल (kamāl)
• Portuguese: máximo (pt)
• Russian: максима́льный (ru) (maksimálʹnyj)
• Spanish: máximo (es)
• Tagalog: higdulin
• Telugu: గరిష్ఠ (gariṣṭha)
• Turkish: maksimum (tr)
• Vietnamese: tối đa (vi)

Derived terms

• antimaximum
• Dymaxion
• glacial maximum
• global maximum
• interference maximum
• local maximum
• maximal
• maximative
• maximin
• maximize
• maximon
• maximum attack
• maximum break
• maximum card
• maximum cut
• maximum holding time
• maximum limit
• maximumly
• maximum permitted mileage
• maximum security
• maximum-security
• maximum seek time
• maximum throughput
• maximum usable frequency
• maximum wage
• maxout
• minimax
• Q-max
• solar maximum
• submaximum
• super-maximum
• supermaximum
• supramaximum

Related terms

• supremum

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmaksɪmum]

Noun

maximum n

1. maximum

   Antonym: minimum

Declension

Declension of maximum (hard neuter foreign)

	singular	plural
nominative	maximum	maxima
genitive	maxima	maxim
dative	maximu	maximům
accusative	maximum	maxima
vocative	maximum	maxima
locative	maximu	maximech
instrumental	maximem	maximy

Related terms

• See maxim

Further reading

• “maximum”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “maximum”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “maximum”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin maximum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑk.siˌmʏm/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ma‧xi‧mum

Noun

maximum n (plural maxima or maximums, diminutive maximumpje n)

1. maximum

Antonyms

• minimum

Derived terms

• maximumleeftijd
• maximumloon
• maximumsnelheid

Related terms

• maximaal

Descendants

• Afrikaans: maksimum

French

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mak.si.mɔm/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

maximum m (plural maxima or maximums)

1. maximum

Derived terms

• grand maximum
• maximal

Further reading

• “maximum”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈmak.sɪ.mũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈmak.si.mum]

Adjective

maximum

1. inflection of maximus:
   1. accusative masculine singular
   2. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French maximum.

Noun

maximum n (uncountable)

1. maximum

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	maximum	maximumul
genitive-dative	maximum	maximumului
vocative	maximumule