Standard Lemma guide

maximal

adj · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈmæksɪməl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M AE1 K S AH0 M AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Largest, greatest (in magnitude), highest, most.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: extreme, maximum, ultimate, ferocious, exquisite, intense, almighty, greatest, highest, maximal, passing, raging, utmost, uttermost

Antonyms: minimal

2

adj

Meaning 2

Larger than any previous term in the sequence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • In the sequence (1, 2, 10, 5, 12, 6), the fifth term, f(5) = 12, is a maximal term, as each of the first 4 terms are smaller than 12.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: minimal

3

adj

Meaning 3

Such that no other element is greater (with respect to the given partial order).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • With respect to the ordering induced by set-theoretic inclusion, the set #92;#123;#92;#123;2#92;#125;,#92;#123;1,2#92;#125;,#92;#123;2,3#92;#125;#92;#125; has two maximal elements: #92;#123;1,2#92;#125; and #92;#123;2,3#92;#125;

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: minimal

4

noun

Meaning 4

The element of a set with the greatest magnitude.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Said of an ideal of a ring or a filter of a lattice: that it is as large as it can be without being trivial (improper).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Said of a set of well-formed formulas: that it is as large as it can be without being inconsistent; i.e. that for any well-formed formula φ, the set contains either φ or ~φ.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, logic, mathematics, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective

Meaning 7

the greatest or most complete or best possible

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • maximal expansion
  • maximum pressure

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: maximum

Antonyms: minimal

History

Etymology

From maximum + -al.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: máximu — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Belarusian: максіма́льны (maksimálʹny) — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Czech: maximální — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Danish: maksimal — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Dutch: maximaal — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Esperanto: maksimuma — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Finnish: maksimaalinen — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Finnish: mahdollisimman suuri — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • French: maximal — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • French: maximum — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • German: maximal — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Hungarian: maximális — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Indonesian: maksimal — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Italian: massimo — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Kazakh: максималды (maksimaldy) — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Kazakh: ең көп (eñ köp) — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Polish: maksymalny — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Portuguese: máximo — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Portuguese: maximal — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Romanian: maximal — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Russian: максима́льный (maksimálʹnyj) — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Spanish: máximo — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Swedish: maximal — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Turkish: azami — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Turkish: en fazla — largest, greatest, highest, most
  • Ukrainian: максима́льний (maksymálʹnyj) — largest, greatest, highest, most
Real reading context

maximal in complete knowledge articles

Eakin–Nagata theorem Ideas & learning · Advanced · 2 uses