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.—
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard 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
General obligation bonds, or GO bonds, are usually used to fund public projects that won’t generate any profit, such as parks maintenance, road upgrades or, in this case, to pay down the district’s debt.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
The gas tax is a key source of funding for road construction and maintenance across North Carolina, and lawmakers said eliminating it even temporarily could slow projects or worsen existing infrastructure needs.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2026
The Davis city council on Tuesday will consider adding a new section to the city code that would clearly establish responsibility for sidewalk maintenance .
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Every dollar generated through these events is one less dollar that must come from property taxes — and one more that can be invested in neighborhood parks, programs and maintenance.
—Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maintenance
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Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
The gas tax is a key source of funding for road construction and maintenance across North Carolina, and lawmakers said eliminating it even temporarily could slow projects or worsen existing infrastructure needs.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2026
The Davis city council on Tuesday will consider adding a new section to the city code that would clearly establish responsibility for sidewalk maintenance .
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Every dollar generated through these events is one less dollar that must come from property taxes — and one more that can be invested in neighborhood parks, programs and maintenance.
—Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maintenance
Cite this Entry
“Maintenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maintenance. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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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