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

"Despite all the changes and all the difficulties, we are going to do our job onboard ISS, performing all the scientific tasks, maintenance tasks here, whatever happens," Kud-Sverchkov said on Monday.

From BBC

The Singapore aircraft-maintenance company’s earnings prospects this year remain favorable, given strong maintenance, repair and overhaul demand, with likely additional capacity, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal

“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,” according to the announcement.

From Los Angeles Times

You are also responsible for your car’s maintenance and insurance, and you could end up with just 70% of your clients’ fare.

From MarketWatch

From what you say in your letter, it seems that you might be overwhelmed with the maintenance a townhouse would entail.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• care
• conservation
• preservation
• supply
• upkeep