Meaning of maintain in English
Table of contents
Pronunciation
/meɪnˈteɪn/US accent
UK accent
to browse different examples of pronunciation.Verb
maintainEtymology
Middle English (also in the sense ‘practice an action habitually’): from Old French maintenir, from Latin manu tenere‘hold in the hand’Definitions
1. keep in a certain state, position, or activityExamples
- « e.g., keep clean »
- « hold in place »
- « She always held herself as a lady »
- « The students keep me on my toes »
Derived terms
- 2. keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction
Examples
- « We preserve these archeological findings »
- « The old lady could not keep up the building »
- « children must be taught to conserve our national heritage »
- « The museum curator conserved the an »
Derived terms
- 3. supply with necessities and support
Examples
- « She alone sustained her family »
- « The money will sustain our good cause »
- « There's little to earn and many to keep »
Derived terms
- 4. state categorically
Derived terms
- 5. of power or authority
- 6. maintain for use and service
Examples
- « I keep a car in the countryside »
- « She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips »
- 7. maintain by writing regular records
Examples
- « keep a diary »
- « maintain a record »
- « keep notes »
- 8. state or assert
Examples
- « He maintained his innocence »
- 9. support against an opponent
Examples
- « The appellate court upheld the verdict »
Derived terms
- 10. observe correctly or closely
Examples
- « The pianist kept time with the metronome »
- « keep count »
- « I cannot keep track of all my employees »
Derived terms
Famous quotes
- « Look up, laugh loud, talk big, keep the color in your cheek and the fire in your eye, adorn your person, maintain your health, your beauty and your animal spirits. » William Hazlitt
- « I certainly wanted to maintain some sense of mystery about Picard and that's why we never allowed certain situations to fully evolve, like the relationship between Picard and Beverly Crusher. » Patrick Stewart
- « I maintain the rather old-fashioned view that this is my work and it's in the public arena, but that doesn't entitle everyone to know what happened at home before coming here. » Francesca Annis
- « Historically the director has been the key creative element in a film and we must maintain that. We must protect that, in spite of the fact that there is new technology that's continually trying to erode that. » John Frankenheimer
- « Certain it is that a great responsibility rests upon the statesmen of all nations, not only to fulfill the promises for reduction in armaments, but to maintain the confidence of the people of the world in the hope of an enduring peace. » Frank B. Kellogg