How to pronounce maven
American English pronunciation
MAY-vun
- IPA
- /ˈmeɪvən/
- Syllables
- MAY · vun (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What maven means
A true expert whom others go to for advice
In a sentence: Aunt Rosa is our family's baking maven, so we call her whenever a cake flops.
Where it comes from: It comes from a Yiddish word for an expert, from Hebrew words about understanding. It is said to have caught on in the United States after a 1964 ad campaign.
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Compare: maven and aficionado
An aficionado is a keen fan; a maven is a true expert people go to for advice.
See also: aficionado
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