Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
maven

maven

10 8.4
A person who knows a lot about one subject
  • noun
  • /ˈmeɪvən/
: experto
  • Gena Berry is known as a food maven because of her extensive knowledge of cooking and local restaurants.

So you're you're a black hole maven in the house this day in black holes.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • I'm Mort Josephson, your movie maven.

    America's Sweethearts (2001)

  • And it's all thanks to these two marketing mavens.

    Heart Eyes (2025)

  • You're like the museum maven of the Met.

    Made of Honor (2008)

  • I wonder who is the tech maven par excellence in the Senate these days.

    Blog text (14)

  • Then there's Tom, the money market maven, and Perry, the travel agent guy.

    Anything Else (2003)

  • Often enough, these mavens persevere and effect change.

    Academic text (2007)

  • She was a knitting maven.

    For a Good Time, Call... (2012)

  • Gladwell writes that change begins with a few people, whom he calls mavens, doing something different.

    Academic text (2007)

  • I am the Tuesday Night Trivia Maven at Professor Thom's in Greenwich Village.

    Blog text (28)

  • Last night, we sent Bwog musical theatre maven Kyra Bloom to review the student-written production.

    Blog text (10)

Synonyms

genius
vsmaven
694 4.9

A person with very strong intelligence or creative skill

focuses on learned specialized knowledge and connoisseur judgment rather than innate exceptional ability
guru
vsmaven
83 5.5

A respected expert who leads and influences others in a field

is more a private knowledgeable connoisseur rather than a public leader
hotshot
vsmaven
  • Informal
51 7.0

A person who is very skilled and often admired at their job

is more about careful deep knowledge and taste rather than flashy reputation
ace
vsmaven
44 4.5

A person who is very good at a particular activity

is about thorough subject knowledge and expert judgment rather than mere excellence
wizard
vsmaven
  • Informal
41 4.7

A person who is very skilled at a particular job or task

is steadier expert knowledge and tested judgment rather than showy ingenuity
whiz
vsmaven
  • Informal
38 7.3

A person who is very skilled at something like math or computers

is centered on detailed subject knowledge rather than quick success or flair
savant
vsmaven
24 8.9

A person with very great knowledge or skill in one subject

is the general knowledgeable connoisseur rather than a scholarly specialist
virtuoso
vsmaven
12 8.0

A person with very great skill, often in music or art

applies to broad subject expertise and taste rather than artistic performance
wiz
vsmaven
  • Informal
8 8.6

A person who is very skilled at a task or subject

is more about deep knowledge and connoisseurship than quick practical talent
adept
vsmaven
4 4.7

A person who is very skilled at something

focuses more on deep subject knowledge and connoisseurship than practical skill
mavin
vsmaven
  • US
1 9.9

A person who knows a lot about a subject and advises others

is the common modern spelling used for that expert meaning

Antonyms

amateur
132 2.8

A person who does an activity like a sport or hobby for pleasure, not as a job

novice
51 3.4

A person new to an activity who has little experience

How Knowledgeable

authority
101 4.2
expert
∞ 3.2
maven
10 8.4
specialist
267 3.9
practitioner
108 4.0
learner
76 1.0
novice
51 3.4

Surface Forms

maven singular
mavens plural

Etymology

Maven comes from the Yiddish word meyvn, and that comes from the Hebrew mavin, meaning 'one who understands'. So a maven is an expert — a person who really understands a subject.