maintenance

noun

main·​te·​nance ˈmānt-nən(t)s How to pronounce maintenance (audio)
ˈmān-tə-nən(t)s
1
: the act of maintaining : the state of being maintained : support
The building has suffered from years of poor maintenance.
2
: something that maintains
at least half of them are living parasitically on the other half instead of producing maintenance for themselvesG. B. Shaw
3
: the upkeep of property or equipment
the maintenance of the school
4
: an officious or unlawful intermeddling in a legal suit by assisting either party with means to carry it on

Examples of maintenance in a Sentence

Soon he could take an Underwood apart and put it together blindfolded, a trick that won him the account for maintenance of all the typewriters at Columbia-Presbyterian hospital … Ian Frazier, Atlantic, November 1997
The building has suffered from years of poor maintenance. the costs of routine car maintenance maintenance of law and order money for the family's maintenance
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Their use extends beyond equipment maintenance to include quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), production line optimization, and manufacturing key performance indicator (KPI) optimization. John Clemons, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025 That translates into skin maintenance in all its forms—leaning into an arsenal of beauty tools, hi-tech ingredients, and loads of SPF to reawaken and rejuvenate radiance before heading into summer. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2025 Decades of deferred maintenance have brought the existing system to the brink of failure in recent years. Holly Arnold, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2025 Chief Barnes said that the state’s ownership has caused years of neglect and deferred maintenance to the site. Taylor O’Connor, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for maintenance

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from maintenir — see maintain

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of maintenance was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maintenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maintenance. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

maintenance

noun
main·​te·​nance ˈmānt-nən(t)s How to pronounce maintenance (audio)
-ᵊn-ən(t)s
1
: the act of maintaining : the state of being maintained
maintenance of law and order
money for the family's maintenance
2
: something that maintains
3
: the care of property or equipment
workers in charge of maintenance

Medical Definition

maintenance

adjective
main·​te·​nance ˈmānt-nən(t)s, -ᵊn-ən(t)s How to pronounce maintenance (audio)
: designed or adequate to maintain a patient in a stable condition : serving to maintain a gradual process of healing or to prevent a relapse
a maintenance dose
maintenance chemotherapy

Legal Definition

maintenance

noun
main·​te·​nance
1
a
: the act of providing basic and necessary support
b
: the state of having such support
2
: a financial means of providing necessary assistance: as
a
b
3
: the necessities of life provided for by payment of maintenance
4
: the upkeep of property or equipment
5
: unsought and unnecessary meddling in a lawsuit by assisting either party with means to carry it on compare champerty

More from Merriam-Webster on maintenance

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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