Definition
A conversational maxim is any of four rules which were proposed by Grice 1975, stating that a speaker is assumed to make a contribution that:
- is adequately but not overly informative (quantity maxim)
- the speaker does not believe to be false and for which adequate evidence is had (quality maxim)
- is relevant (maxim of relation or relevance), and
- is clear, unambiguous, brief, and orderly (maxim of manner).
Discussion
The conversational maxims, along with the cooperative principle, partly account for conversational implicatures.
Sources 3
- Grice 1975, 45–46, 49–50
- Levinson 1983, 101–104, 113–114
- Crystal 1985, 153