maintenance

[ meyn-tuh-nuhns ]

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

/ 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

Other Words From

• non·mainte·nance noun
• pre·mainte·nance noun
• self-mainte·nance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of maintenance¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of maintenance¹

C14: from Old French; see maintain

Related Words

• care
• conservation
• preservation
• supply
• upkeep