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
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
One option is to purchase a battery maintainer/maintenance charger to keep the battery sufficiently charged when your car isn't in use.
—Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025
Some inmates held in the wing's second floor who spoke with IndyStar described suffering health complications, such as feeling sick and struggling to breathe as maintenance continues.
—Matthew Cupelli, IndyStar, 16 Aug. 2025
Other gains were in the services category (laundry, maintenance, religious) with 800, and leisure and hospitality (jobs in hotels, casinos, restaurants and bars) with 400 new jobs.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
That job posting is no longer available, though maintenance positions have been posted for both prisons.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maintenance
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Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2025
Some inmates held in the wing's second floor who spoke with IndyStar described suffering health complications, such as feeling sick and struggling to breathe as maintenance continues.
—Matthew Cupelli, IndyStar, 16 Aug. 2025
Other gains were in the services category (laundry, maintenance, religious) with 800, and leisure and hospitality (jobs in hotels, casinos, restaurants and bars) with 400 new jobs.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
That job posting is no longer available, though maintenance positions have been posted for both prisons.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maintenance
Cite this Entry
“Maintenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maintenance. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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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