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
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
The false documents include a lien claiming $4 million was owed for improvements and maintenance at her former Mequon home − which was sold in 2022 through foreclosure.
—Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
The funds are used to pay for the creation and installation of the star and ceremony, as well as maintenance of the Walk of Fame.
More than 2,700 honorees are currently enshrined on the walk.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 2 Apr. 2024
Cities across the Bay Area are grappling with similarly aging infrastructure and significant funding challenges to address deferred maintenance.
—Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
Manufacturing plants can leverage AI for predictive maintenance and production line optimization.
—Timothy Papandreou, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
During the conversation, Couch and Ellis also speak about the importance of park preservation, trail development and pedestrian use, which are vital to the growth and maintenance of the metro area's park system.
—Rex Nelson, arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2024
In 2022, unions representing teachers and maintenance workers halted work in hopes to secure pay raises, address issues with health care policies and teacher staffing.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024
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
The false documents include a lien claiming $4 million was owed for improvements and maintenance at her former Mequon home − which was sold in 2022 through foreclosure.
—Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
The funds are used to pay for the creation and installation of the star and ceremony, as well as maintenance of the Walk of Fame.
More than 2,700 honorees are currently enshrined on the walk.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 2 Apr. 2024
Cities across the Bay Area are grappling with similarly aging infrastructure and significant funding challenges to address deferred maintenance.
—Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
Manufacturing plants can leverage AI for predictive maintenance and production line optimization.
—Timothy Papandreou, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
During the conversation, Couch and Ellis also speak about the importance of park preservation, trail development and pedestrian use, which are vital to the growth and maintenance of the metro area's park system.
—Rex Nelson, arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2024
In 2022, unions representing teachers and maintenance workers halted work in hopes to secure pay raises, address issues with health care policies and teacher staffing.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 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 17 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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