Maintain Definition
mān-tān
maintained, maintaining, maintains
verb
maintained, maintaining, maintains
To keep or keep up; continue in or with; carry on.
Webster's New World
To keep in an existing state; preserve or retain.
Maintain one's composure.
American Heritage
To keep in a certain condition or position, esp. of efficiency, good repair, etc.; preserve.
To maintain roads.
Webster's New World
To keep in existence or continuance.
Food maintains life.
Webster's New World
To keep or hold (a place, position, etc.) against attack; defend.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Origin of Maintain
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Middle English maintainen from Old French maintenir from Medieval Latin manutenēre from Latin manū tenēre to hold in the hand manū ablative of manus hand man-2 in Indo-European roots tenēre to hold ten- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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From Anglo-Norman and Old French maintenir, from Late Latin manÅ«teneō (“I support"), from Latin manÅ« (“with the hand") + teneō (“I hold").
From Wiktionary
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