maintenance

American  

[meyn-tuh-nuhns] / ˈmeɪn tə nəns /

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 British  

/ 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

---

Usage

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."

Other Word Forms

• nonmaintenance noun
• premaintenance noun
• self-maintenance noun

Etymology

Origin of maintenance

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

Example Sentences

The Comfort is expected to complete its maintenance period in April, according to a Defense Department contract listing in December.

From The Wall Street Journal

At any one time, some are dispatched to different areas of the globe, some are conducting training, and others are undergoing maintenance.

From The Wall Street Journal

The couple do all the cleaning, washing and maintenance - with the help of four Exmoor ponies who live on the land.

From BBC

The MRO services provider has also started line maintenance operations in Manila.

From The Wall Street Journal

They have proposed cuts to services including reduced school cleaning and grounds maintenance, stopping road line painting on residential streets and ceasing sheltered housing support contributions.

From BBC

Related Words

• care
• conservation
• preservation
• supply
• upkeep