maximum
maximum Lexical Profile
maximum Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
As great, high, or intense as possible or permitted; reaching the highest limit.
"The train reached its maximum speed on the straight stretch of track between the two cities."
• noun
The greatest amount, extent, intensity, or degree possible, permitted, or recorded.
"The lecture hall can accommodate a maximum of two hundred students at a time."
In mathematics, the largest value assumed by a function over a given interval or across its entire domain.
"The students used calculus to find the local maximum of the curve on the graph."
Word Nuance & Usage
Both 'maxima' and 'maximums' are accepted plural forms; 'maxima' is preferred in mathematics and the physical sciences, whereas 'maximums' is more common in general everyday usage.
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 18th century directly from Latin 'maximum', the neuter singular of 'maximus' ('greatest'), which is the superlative form of 'magnus' ('great, large').