maintenance
noun
main·te·nance
ˈmānt-nən(t)s 
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 themselves—
G. B. Shaw
G. B. Shaw3
: 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
Synonyms
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
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
All three men were employees of Brawner Builders, which was doing overnight maintenance work on the structure at the time of the deadly collapse, according to a statement previously shared by Jack Murphy.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Angel Alba, a former maintenance supervisor and worker at several state parks in Malibu, filed the suit in 2018 in Los Angeles County Superior Court against the agency and his former boss, Lynette Brody, after more than a decade of contentious workplace issues, according to court documents.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Atmos Energy crews were at the university Monday morning doing maintenance and repairs when a gas line ruptured, according to Holly Ellman, a spokesperson for TCU.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2024
Applications continuously accepted Construction Project Manager-Port Everglades Description: Responsible for performing advanced professional and administrative work in designing and managing maintenance projects for the Port Everglades Department.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
They can also be washed and require less maintenance tasks compared to leather gloves.
—Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
Why is gas going up in Arizona? Julian Paredes, the AAA spokesperson for Arizona, said there are three primary factors in the steady increase of gas prices in the state: seasonal demand, oil prices and refinery maintenance.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The team’s analysis also reveals other telltale movements in the dam that accelerated later that year, possibly due to poor maintenance by the occupying forces.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Apr. 2024
Plus, hear hacks from professional organizers on maximizing counter space,
Maintaining your home: Necessary home maintenance can save your thousands in the long run.
—Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Angel Alba, a former maintenance supervisor and worker at several state parks in Malibu, filed the suit in 2018 in Los Angeles County Superior Court against the agency and his former boss, Lynette Brody, after more than a decade of contentious workplace issues, according to court documents.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Atmos Energy crews were at the university Monday morning doing maintenance and repairs when a gas line ruptured, according to Holly Ellman, a spokesperson for TCU.
—James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2024
Applications continuously accepted Construction Project Manager-Port Everglades Description: Responsible for performing advanced professional and administrative work in designing and managing maintenance projects for the Port Everglades Department.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
They can also be washed and require less maintenance tasks compared to leather gloves.
—Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
Why is gas going up in Arizona? Julian Paredes, the AAA spokesperson for Arizona, said there are three primary factors in the steady increase of gas prices in the state: seasonal demand, oil prices and refinery maintenance.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
The team’s analysis also reveals other telltale movements in the dam that accelerated later that year, possibly due to poor maintenance by the occupying forces.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Apr. 2024
Plus, hear hacks from professional organizers on maximizing counter space,
Maintaining your home: Necessary home maintenance can save your thousands in the long run.
—Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maintenance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near maintenance
Cite this Entry
“Maintenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maintenance. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
maintenance
noun
main·te·nance
ˈmānt-nən(t)s
-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
: 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
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