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

• 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

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

See Examples For:

maintenance

Hourly installation and maintenance jobs tied to data centers advertise pay about 42% higher than comparable roles elsewhere.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

Higher utilization of the company’s nuclear reactors, some of which are currently undergoing maintenance, would be needed to improve earnings, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

And when the 1907-built edifice required maintenance, some party members did not view it as a blessing.

From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026

Filippi also claims in the suit that Kettle and the then-chief financial officer cut roughly $3 million from Metrolink’s budget, affecting funds for its contractor that handled maintenance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

"The kingdom of Orléans is ruled by queens; the crown is passed down through the women of your family. Queens ensure the proper governance of the kingdom and maintenance of its well-being."

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• care
• conservation
• preservation
• supply
• upkeep