Maintenance Definition
māntə-nəns
noun
The act of maintaining or the state of being maintained.
Nutrients essential to the maintenance of good health.
American Heritage
A maintaining or being maintained; upkeep, support, defense, etc.; specif., the work of keeping a building, machinery, etc. in good repair.
Webster's New World
A department or the personnel responsible for keeping a building, etc. in good repair.
Webster's New World
Provision of support or livelihood.
Took over the maintenance of her family.
American Heritage
Means of support or sustenance; livelihood.
A job that barely provides a maintenance.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Origin of Maintenance
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From Middle English mayntenaunce, from Old French maintenance, from maintenir, from Latin manus tenere (“to hold in the hand").
From Wiktionary
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Note that maintain has undergone a sound and spelling change, hence spelt with -tain-, rather than the -ten- still found in maintenance.
From Wiktionary
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Middle English maintenaunce from Old French maintenance from maintenir to maintain maintain
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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