Definition:Maximal Element/Definition 1

Definition
Let $\left({S, \preceq}\right)$ be an ordered set.

Let $T \subseteq S$ be a subset of $S$.

An element $x \in T$ is a maximal element of $T$ :


 * $x \preceq y \implies x = y$

That is, the only element of $S$ that $x$ precedes or is equal to is itself.

Also see

 * Equivalence of Definitions of Maximal Element