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.

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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

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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

Derived Forms

• premaintenance
  noun
• nonmaintenance
  noun
• self-maintenance
  noun

Etymology

Origin of maintenance

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

Explanation

If you make sure that your house or car or even a database stays in good working condition, you are keeping up on the maintenance. Maintain, the verb related to the noun maintenance, comes from the Latin expression manu tenere meaning literally "hold in the hand," a fitting picture for this word. As well as the upkeep of machines, maintenance can be used with things that need sustaining. The maintenance of law and order is taken care of by the police. When a couple divorces, the husband is usually required to pay maintenance — financial support — to the wife.

Example Sentences

It said the MoD now expected soldiers to conduct maintenance checks every time they stopped the vehicles, which was "unreasonable" given that they might need to use the vehicles for long periods in combat operations.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

“All historic resorts—including five-star properties—face ongoing maintenance needs,” the Justices’ attorney said, noting that the Greenbrier makes “significant” investment in new plantings each year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

This includes core staff costs, running expenses of the King's official household including receptions, maintenance of palaces in England and travel costs for royal engagements.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Brazil and Sweden on Thursday also agreed to set up a centre dedicated to developing new systems and equipment for the operation, maintenance, and modernisation of the Gripen aircraft in Brazil.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

In the months that followed the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown, when other reactors around Japan went offline for maintenance, the government withheld approval for them to reactivate.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

• care
• conservation
• preservation
• supply
• upkeep