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Etymology and origin of the French word maximum

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1706 Histoire de l'Académie des sciences More words from the 18th century
Borrowed from
Latin maximum
Ultimate origin
Latin magnus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French maximum
English maximum
From the same root
English max ← maximum
English maximal ← maximum
English maximize ← maximum

Pronunciation

  • /mak.si.mɔm/[1]

Forms

maximum m (plural maxima or maximums)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin maximum (“the greatest”), the neuter of maximus (“greatest”) used as a noun, the superlative of magnus (“great”).[2][3][4][5] Mathematicians took it up first: the TLFi dates it to 1706, in the memoirs of the Académie des sciences;[2][3] Bloch and Wartburg, the Grand Robert and the GLLF give 1718.[4][6][5] It is the opposite of minimum.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1706 it is the value of a function greater than the values just before and after it.[2]

Semantic evolution

At first a scientific term, the word spread into common use through the law of 1793 on the maximum price of grain.[2][3] The Encyclopédie has the general sense “greatest value reached by a variable quantity” in 1751.[2][5] In law it is used of the heaviest penalty (1810) and absolutely in condamner au maximum (1857).[2][3] It became an adjective in 1830, in Cauchy, and the phrase au maximum “at the most” appears in Balzac in 1846, and “to the highest degree” in 1906.[2][3]

Familiar speech shortened it to maxi (1954) and then max (1969), as in ça coûte un max.[3] The verb maximiser (1828) first rendered the English word maximize in a translation of Bentham.[3]

Timeline

  • 1706 – First record, in mathematics.[2][3]
  • 1751 – The Encyclopédie uses it for the greatest value of a quantity.[2][5]
  • 1793 – The Convention's law on the maximum price of grain.[2][3]
  • 1810 – Used of the maximum of a penalty.[2][3]
  • 1830 – First used as an adjective.[2][3]
  • 1846 – Au maximum in Balzac.[2][3]
  • 1969 – The clipped form max.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (mathematics) A value of a function greater than those just before and after it.[7][2]
  2. The greatest value reached by a variable quantity, an upper limit;[7][2] au maximum, at the most, or to the highest degree.[7][2]
  3. (law) The heaviest penalty the law allows for an offence.[2][3]
  4. (history) The legal ceiling on prices fixed in 1793.[2]

Adjective

  1. Greatest, maximum.[2][3]

Word family

  • maximal
  • maximiser
  • maximer
  • max
  • maxi

Usage notes

The plural is maximums or the Latin maxima;[7][8] Littré notes that mathematicians said des maxima, and a thermomètre à maxima records the highest temperature reached.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Maximum.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/maximum. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·