maintain

play

verb main·tain \mān-ˈtān, mən-\

Definition of maintain

transitive verb
1 : to keep in an existing state (as of repair, efficiency, or validity) : preserve from failure or decline maintain machinery
2 : to sustain against opposition or danger : uphold and defend maintain a position
3 : to continue or persevere in : carry on, keep up couldn't maintain his composure
4a : to support or provide for has a family to maintainb : sustain enough food to maintain life
5 : to affirm in or as if in argument : assert maintained that the earth is flat

maintainability

play \-ˌtā-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

maintainable

play \-ˈtā-nə-bəl\ adjective

maintainer

noun

See maintain defined for English-language learners

See maintain defined for kids

Examples of maintain in a Sentence

They have always maintained high standards of professional conduct.
He has found it difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
The company has done a poor job of maintaining its computer network.
It was obvious that the house had been poorly maintained.
She was finding it hard to maintain her balance.
She still maintains a close relationship with her college roommate.
It's difficult to maintain a correspondence when we're both so busy.
The pilot was struggling to maintain control of the aircraft.
The police say that they will do whatever is necessary to maintain law and order.

Recent Examples of maintain from the Web

That left a huge gap between Republicans who wanted to maintain the popular benefits and those who wanted to repeal the law entirely.

— julie rovner, Kaiser Health News, "Analysis: GOP Failure To Replace The Health Law Was Years In The Making," 18 July 2017
That said, one of your ideas for adults wishing to maintain their curiosity is to do something that’s surprising or that seems out of character for them.

— jessica gross, Longreads, "Why Are Humans So Curious?," 18 July 2017
Faulconer has maintained his desire to stay in the city, but Republicans in California are eager to put forward strong candidates for the gubernatorial race in 2018.

— michael smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Bid for governor or not, Faulconer still a hot ticket on statewide stage," 16 July 2017
High pressure building to our north will maintain northeast winds through Monday.

— tom skilling, chicagotribune.com, "Push of drier air to keep storms at bay for now," 15 July 2017
To make SoR’s list, an organization must at a minimum maintain a public web page with a position statement on animal research.

— meredith wadman, Science | AAAS, "To woo public, Europe opens up on animal experiments, but U.S. less transparent," 14 July 2017
Despite Mr. Trump’s searing put-downs on Twitter, many conservatives maintain that for lesser public figures like Mr. Inman, certain rules of decorum and political correctness still apply.

— richard fausset, New York Times, "A Police Chief, a Facebook Scandal and Now, a Bank Robbery Suspect," 12 July 2017
Most talked about the bells, which were paid for by resident donations, some in memory of people who had died, and the countless volunteer hours put into raising money for and maintaining the structure.

— erin hegarty, Naperville Sun, "Residents urge commission to save Naperville's Moser Tower, carillon," 12 July 2017
The most alarming part, however, is that despite the aforementioned allegations, American maintains that the uniforms are not the cause of their employees' newfound health problems.

— kaleigh fasanella, Teen Vogue, "American Airlines’ Uniforms Are Allegedly Making Employees Ill," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maintain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of maintain

Middle English mainteinen, from Anglo-French maintenir, maynteiner, from Medieval Latin manutenēre, from Latin manu tenēre to hold in the hand

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of maintain

maintain, assert, defend, vindicate, justify mean to uphold as true, right, just, or reasonable. maintain stresses firmness of conviction. steadfastly maintained his innocence assert suggests determination to make others accept one's claim. asserted her rights defend implies maintaining in the face of attack or criticism. defended his voting record vindicate implies successfully defending. his success vindicated our faith in him justify implies showing to be true, just, or valid by appeal to a standard or to precedent. the action was used to justify military intervention

MAINTAIN Defined for English Language Learners

maintain

play

verb

Definition of maintain for English Language Learners

: to cause (something) to exist or continue without changing
: to keep (something) in good condition by making repairs, correcting problems, etc.
: to continue having or doing (something)

MAINTAIN Defined for Kids

maintain

play

verb main·tain \mān-ˈtān\

Definition of maintain for Students

maintained

;

maintaining

1 : to carry on : continue After many years they still maintain a correspondence.
2 : to keep in a particular or desired state Eat properly to maintain good health.
3 : to insist to be true She maintains her innocence.
4 : to provide for : support I maintained my family by working two jobs.