care and maintenance

British

noun

C M. commerce the state of a building, ship, machinery, etc, that is not in current use although it is kept in good condition to enable it to be quickly brought into service if there is demand for it

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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care and maintenance

After initially removing nuclear fuel from the reactors and transferring it to secure storage, it will move into its "care and maintenance" phase.

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025

“U. S. residents will continue to enjoy affordable pricing, while nonresidents will pay a higher rate to help support the care and maintenance of America’s parks,” the Interior Department said in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025

The “professional services agreement” between the district and the artists, executed in 2006, states that “the district is responsible for the proper care and maintenance of the Artwork.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

Unlike commodity goods placed on a shelf, plants are dynamic, living things in need of constant care and maintenance.

From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2023

With these exceptions all the details required for the care and maintenance of the hospital were furnished by men selected from the convalescent patients.

From The History of the American Expedition Fighting the Bolsheviki Campaigning in North Russia 1918-1919 by Lewis E. Jahns

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023