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maximin

maximin

9.9
A plan that tries to make the worst outcome as good as possible
  • adjective
  • /ˈmæksɪmɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : maximin
  • Choosing the maximin option guarantees that the worst-case scenario will still yield some benefits.

Examples

  • To ensure fair outcomes, the team decided to adopt a maximin strategy during the negotiations.

  • Consistent with previous research (Hansen and Helgeson 1996), participants in our experiment made fewer compensatory and more maximin choices when information was displayed in the midpoint-variability style than when they were given min-max style tables.

    Academic text (2005)
  • In their analysis, the researchers emphasized the importance of using a maximin approach to secure the minimum acceptable results.

Antonyms

minimax
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A plan that tries to reduce the worst possible loss

How Risk-Averse

maximin
  • Specialized
9.9
to bet the ranch
  • Informal
1 8.2

Surface Forms

maximin positive

Morphology

maximin = minimum (semi-transparent) = maxi + min

The term combines 'maxi' and 'min' to describe a strategy that maximizes the minimum outcome, which may not be immediately obvious.

Etymology

Maximin comes from joining maxi- ('largest') and mini- ('smallest'). So, as an adjective it describes a plan or rule that tries to make the smallest or worst result as large or good as possible.