max·im 
/ˈmæksəm/ noun
plural max·ims /ˈmæksəm/ noun [count] : a well-known phrase that expresses a general truth about life or a rule about behavior
▪ My mother's favorite maxim [=saying] was “Don't count your chickens before they hatch.” [=don't assume that things will happen the way you expect them to happen]
▪ My mother's favorite maxim [=saying] was “Don't count your chickens before they hatch.” [=don't assume that things will happen the way you expect them to happen]
