What does maintenance mean?
Maintenance is the work required to keep something useful, safe, functional, or in good condition. Its most common uses concern buildings, vehicles, machinery, roads, gardens, and other property: routine or preventive maintenance is performed to identify problems, repair wear, and reduce the risk of failure. The word can also describe less tangible forms of upkeep, such as maintaining a database, a programme, a legal right, peace, or a professional practice. In the sense of financial support, maintenance can refer to money provided to someone, as in the maintenance of a child or dependant, although this use is more formal and less common than the general sense of upkeep. As a mass noun, maintenance usually means the process itself; a plural form exists but is uncommon. Overall, the word is neutral and practical, suggesting the continuous care needed to preserve the value, performance, or continuation of something.
nounThe act of keeping something in good condition, or the work and servicing needed to do so. It may also refer to the provision of financial support or the continuation of a social, political, or institutional condition.
- The work or process of keeping something in good working order or condition.
- The provision of support, or the act of keeping a social, political, or institutional condition in existence.
"Regular maintenance of the building has prevented serious structural problems."
"The museum employs a conservator whose duties include the maintenance of its collection."
"The agreement was designed to encourage the maintenance of peace along the border."
"The aircraft was returned to service after routine maintenance."
The plural is grammatical but uncommon; the uncountable form is normally preferred when referring to the general process or work.
"The museum recorded several separate maintenances of its historic displays."
Maintenance began with a remarkably literal idea: keeping hold of something with the hand.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does maintenance come from?
The word entered English from Old French maintenance, derived from maintenir, which came from Latin manu tenere, “to hold with the hand.” The Latin expression originally referred to keeping something secure by physical means, but its meaning broadened to the broader idea of preserving or supporting. Its components also underlie English words such as manual, manuscript, tenant, and tenacious.
Related word forms
How maintenance is actually used
The word is common in British and American English. It usually describes recurring work that preserves or repairs property, equipment, systems, or records, but it can also refer more broadly to support, continuity, or the act of preserving a condition.