maintenance

[meyn-tuh-nuhns]

noun

1. the act of maintaining.

   the maintenance of proper oral hygiene.

2. the state of being maintained.

   the maintenance of friendly relations with England.

3. care or upkeep, as of machinery or property.

   With proper maintenance the car will last for many years.

4. means of upkeep, support, or subsistence; livelihood.

   to provide a comfortable maintenance.

5. alimony or child support.

6. Law.,  an officious meddling in a suit in which the meddler has no interest, by assisting either party with means to prosecute or defend it.

adjective

1. Pharmacology, Psychiatry.,  administered to sustain a desired physiological or mental condition.

   maintenance dose.

maintenance

/ ˈmeɪntɪnəns /

noun

1. the act of maintaining or the state of being maintained

2. a means of support; livelihood

3. (modifier) of or relating to the maintaining of buildings, machinery, etc

   maintenance man

4. law (formerly unlawful) the interference in a legal action by a person having no interest in it, as by providing funds to continue the action See also champerty

5. law a provision ordered to be made by way of periodical payments or a lump sum, as after a divorce for a spouse

6. computing

   1. the correction or prevention of faults in hardware by a programme of inspection and the replacement of parts

   2. the removal of existing faults and the modification of software in response to changes in specification or environment

Other Word Forms

• nonmaintenance noun
• premaintenance noun
• self-maintenance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of maintenance¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English maintenaunce, from Middle French maintenance; equivalent to maintain + -ance

Word History and Origins

Origin of maintenance¹

C14: from Old French; see _maintain

Example Sentences

The department’s maintenance and operations budget has been stagnant for years and its staff has been shrinking, with more trouble on the horizon as temporary funding sources dry up in the next few years.

From Los Angeles Times

Within that range, the mileage cost is cheaper than diesel - although it's complicated when taking account other factors, such as higher capital costs, lower maintenance costs and the unclear impact of depreciation.

From BBC

There are intro-to-backpacking workshops, herbal walks, camping trips, trail maintenance projects and more.

From Los Angeles Times

Last week, the Reform-run Kent County Council said road markings would be repainted in a "natural programme of maintenance".

From BBC

"As the allocation is on an annual basis, it is difficult to have an ongoing planned maintenance programme for our schools," they said.

From BBC

Related Words

• care 
• conservation 
• preservation 
• supply 
• upkeep 

When To Use

Spelling tips for maintenance

The word maintenance is hard to spell because it is spelled differently from the way it is pronounced [ meyn-tuh-nuhns ]. How to spell maintenance: To spell maintenance, break it down into three parts: main - ten - ance. The suffix -ance means roughly "action."