Origin: Latin suffix -ance
Maintenance has 6 different meanings across 1 category:
activity involved in maintaining something in good working order
"he wrote the manual on car care"
means of maintenance of a family or group
"After his promotion, David decided to use his bonus savings as an emergency fund for the family's future maintenance needs."
court-ordered support paid by one spouse to another after they are separated
"After months of arguing, my lawyer finally filed for the maintenance I needed to cover our daughter's living expenses while we sort out the divorce."
the act of sustaining life by food or providing a means of subsistence
"they were in want of sustenance"
"fishing was their main sustainment"
the unauthorized interference in a legal action by a person having no interest in it (as by helping one party with money or otherwise to continue the action) so as to obstruct justice or promote unnecessary litigation or unsettle the peace of the community
"unlike champerty, criminal maintenance does not necessarily involve personal profit"
Actions performed to keep some machine or system functioning or in service.
"The mechanic spent the morning performing routine maintenance on the factory's conveyor belt to prevent it from breaking down during peak hours."
In plain English: Maintenance is the act of keeping something working properly by fixing it or taking care of it regularly.
"The regular maintenance of the car includes changing the oil and checking the tires."
Usage: Use maintenance to refer to the routine actions taken to keep equipment, systems, or property in good working order. It describes the ongoing effort required to prevent breakdowns rather than the act of repairing something that has already failed.
The word "maintenance" comes from Old French maintenir, which ultimately derives from the Latin phrase manus tenēre, meaning "to hold in the hand." Although it is formed by adding "-ance" to the modern English verb "maintain," the spelling with a "t" reflects historical sound changes rather than the original Latin form.