maven

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maven^¹

/ˈmeɪvn̩/ UK
/ˈmeɪv(ə)n/ US

Rhymes with -eɪvən

Where it comes from

From Yiddish מבֿין (meyvn, “connoisseur, expert, know-it-all”), from Hebrew מֵבִין (mevín, “one who understands, connoisseur, expert”), from הֵבִין (hevín, “to understand”). The word is said to have been popularized by its use in an advertising campaign for Vita Herring launched in the United States in 1964, which had a character called the “beloved [herring] maven” promoting the product.

noun mavens · mavin · mayven · mayvin

US An expert in a given field; also, a person who is interested in and knowledgeable about a particular activity or thing; an aficionado. Connectors know people—lots of people. Mavens know about things. They know, or find out first, what is going on. Connectors, says [Malcolm] Gladwell, need mavens to tell them what to buzz about.
Similar: cognoscente, connoisseur, adept, ace, artist, buff, crackerjack, crack hand, dab, dab hand, dabster, don hand · Opposite: abecedarian, alphabetarian, apprentice, amateur, beginner, bun, colt, first-timer, fledgling, FNG, fresh meat, freshman

MAVEN^²

proper noun

abbreviation, acronym Acronym of Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission, a space probe designed to investigate the Martian climate.

Translations

Every language

noun expert in a given field — see also expert

Español	entendido, entendida, perito
Português	entendido, entendida, experto, experta
Français	connaisseur, connaisseuse, spécialiste, virtuose
Deutsch	Experte, Expertin, Kenner, Kennerin
Italiano	intenditore, intenditrice
Русский	до́ка dóka, экспе́рт ekspért, специали́ст specialíst, специали́стка specialístka, знато́к znatók
العربية	خَبِير ḵabīr
עברית	מבֿין mevin

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MLA

"maven." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/maven. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

maven. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/maven

Chicago

"maven." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/maven.

BibTeX

@misc{maven_2026,
  title = {maven},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/maven},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}