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
Marcus Schulze runs an office equipment supplier that offers a comprehensive fax repair and maintenance service.
—Esme Nicholson, NPR, 31 May 2024
Labor Bureau data shows Latinos are underrepresented in higher-paying positions and are most often employed in production, transportation, farming, construction and maintenance occupations.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 31 May 2024
Evergy also trims around 315,000 more trees every year along its pre-scheduled maintenance routes.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2024
For instance, that classic Marshall sound heard on countless hard rock albums that’ll set you back thousands (or possibly tens of thousands) and require the kind of maintenance that a decades-old amp always needs?
—Spin Contributor, SPIN, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for maintenance 
Esme Nicholson, NPR, 31 May 2024
Labor Bureau data shows Latinos are underrepresented in higher-paying positions and are most often employed in production, transportation, farming, construction and maintenance occupations.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 31 May 2024
Evergy also trims around 315,000 more trees every year along its pre-scheduled maintenance routes.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2024
For instance, that classic Marshall sound heard on countless hard rock albums that’ll set you back thousands (or possibly tens of thousands) and require the kind of maintenance that a decades-old amp always needs?
—Spin Contributor, SPIN, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for maintenance
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 7 Jun. 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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