main·te·nance
| \ ˈmānt-nən(t)s
, ˈmān-tə-nən(t)s \
, ˈmān-tə-nən(t)s \
Definition of maintenance
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
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
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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
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Recent Examples on the Web
Extremely limited opportunities remain in Orchard Flower, an award-winning 55-plus community showcasing low-maintenance living, single-story homes, numerous amenities and a location approximately 10 miles from DFW International Airport.
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Dallas News, "Final homes selling in luxury 55-plus community," 11 Apr. 2021
Constructed of low maintenance native stone, the fire pit requires only a quick cleaning in the spring.
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BostonGlobe.com, "It’s time to embrace your outdoor space," 10 Apr. 2021
For a lot of customers, dealing with the often finicky details of making things secure—and the tedious maintenance required to keep things secure—is simply too much hassle.
—
Justin Warren, Forbes, "HashiCorp Vault Cloud Service Goes GA," 7 Apr. 2021
Suspension maintenance is a major investment of money and time, sometimes involving removing and shipping parts.
—
Joe Lindsey, Outside Online, "Maintenance That Will Prep Your Bike for Spring," 29 Mar. 2021
Basic maintenance can be one of the most important elements of bathroom preservation.
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Washington Post, "Bathrooms are breeding grounds for mold and mildew. Here’s what you can do.," 10 Mar. 2021
Gray said road maintenance is not a one-time expense, and the village cannot raid and deplete other funds to pay for a public works department.
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Michelle Mullins, chicagotribune.com, "Candidates for Homer Glen board differ on Heritage Park and take over of Homer Township Road District," 10 Mar. 2021
Mai says that, while good maintenance is what makes potential buyers comfortable in the home, design is what keeps them thinking about it.
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San Francisco Chronicle, "Ask A Realtor: How do I make my San Francisco home stand out in today's crowded market?," 8 Mar. 2021
In any case, maintenance and repair on the instrument, given its size and complexity, had always been somewhat ad hoc.
—
Daniel Alarcón, The New Yorker, "The Collapse of Puerto Rico’s Iconic Telescope," 29 Mar. 2021
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maintenance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Dictionary Entries near maintenance
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Last Updated
14 Apr 2021
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Cite this Entry
“Maintenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maintenance. Accessed 20 Apr. 2021.
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More Definitions for maintenance
maintenance
noun
English Language Learners Definition of maintenance
: the act of keeping property or equipment in good condition by making repairs, correcting problems, etc.
: the act of causing something to exist or continue without changing
: the act of providing support for someone or something
See the full definition for maintenance in the English Language Learners Dictionary
maintenance
noun
main·te·nance
| \ ˈmān-tə-nəns
\
\
Kids Definition of maintenance
1
: the act of keeping or providing for : the state of being kept or provided for
One of government's jobs is the maintenance of law and order. We collected money for the family's maintenance.
2
: upkeep
Workers in charge of maintenance painted the building.
maintenance
adjective
main·te·nance
| \ ˈmānt-nən(t)s, -ᵊn-ən(t)s
\
\
Medical Definition of maintenance
: 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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maintenance
noun
main·te·nance
Legal Definition of maintenance
1a
: the act of providing basic and necessary support
b
: the state of having such support
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
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Time Traveler for maintenance
The first known use of maintenance was in the 14th century
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