ETYM French maxime, Latin maxima (sc. sententia), the greatest sentence, proposition, or axiom, i. e., of the greatest weight or authority, fem. from maximus greatest, superl. of magnus great. Related to Magnitude, Maximum.
A saying that widely accepted on its own merits; SYN. axiom.
Saying or proverb that gives moral guidance or a piece of advice on the way to live (“First come, first served”; “Better late than never”).