maintain

maintain
[[t]meɪnte͟ɪn[/t]]
♦♦
maintains, maintaining, maintained
1) VERB If you maintain something, you continue to have it, and do not let it stop or grow weaker.

[V n] The Department maintains many close contacts with the chemical industry...

[V n] Push yourself to make friends and to maintain the friendships.

[V n] ...the emergency powers to try to maintain law and order.

Syn:
2) VERB If you say that someone maintains that something is true, you mean that they have stated their opinion strongly but not everyone agrees with them or believes them.

[V that] He has maintained that the money was donated for international purposes...

[V that] Prosecutors maintain no deal was made...

[V with quote] `Not all feminism has to be like this,' Jo maintains...

[V n] He had always maintained his innocence.

Syn:
3) VERB If you maintain something at a particular rate or level, you keep it at that rate or level.

[V n at n] The government was right to maintain interest rates at a high level.

[V n at n] ...action is required to ensure standards are maintained at as high a level as possible.

Syn:
4) VERB If you maintain a road, building, vehicle, or machine, you keep it in good condition by regularly checking it and repairing it when necessary.

[V n] ...a tough campaign to force authorities to maintain roads properly...

[V n] The house costs a fortune to maintain...

[V-ed] The cars are getting older and less well-maintained.

Syn:
5) VERB If you maintain someone, you provide them with money and other things that they need.

[V n] He should pay and maintain you as well.

[V n] ...the basic costs of maintaining a child.

Syn:
provide for, keep

English dictionary. 2008.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Maintain — Main*tain, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Maintained}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Maintaining}.] [OE. maintenen, F. maintenir, properly, to hold by the hand; main hand (L. manus) + F. tenir to hold (L. tenere). See {Manual}, and Tenable.] 1. To hold or keep in any… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • maintain — main‧tain [meɪnˈteɪn, mən ] verb [transitive] 1. to make something continue in the same way or at the same high standard as before: • It is impossible to maintain exports at past levels. • To maintain sales growth, the company plans to unveil a… …   Financial and business terms

  • maintain — maintain, assert, defend, vindicate, justify are comparable when they mean to uphold as true, right, just, valid, or worthy of notice or acceptance in the face of opposition or indifference. Maintain implies a firmness of conviction. When this… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • maintain — I (carry on) verb adfirmare, confirmare, contendere, continue, follow up, go on, keep alive, keep going, keep on, keep up, perpetuate, persevere, persist, proceed with, prolong, pursue, shore up, stick to II (commence) verb activate, b …   Law dictionary

  • maintain — [mān tān′] vt. [ME mainteinen < OFr maintenir < ML manutenere < L manu tenere, to hold in the hand < manu, abl. of manus, hand + tenere, to hold: see MANUAL & TENANT] 1. to keep or keep up; continue in or with; carry on 2. a) to keep… …   English World dictionary

  • Maintain — Allgemeine Informationen Genre(s) Metalcore Gründung 1998 Website http://www.maintain hc.de …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • maintain — [v1] care for, keep up advance, carry on, conserve, continue, control, cultivate, finance, go on with, guard, keep, keep going, look after, manage, nurture, perpetuate, persevere, preserve, prolong, protect, provide, renew, repair, retain, save,… …   New thesaurus

  • maintain — (v.) mid 13c., to practice habitually, from Anglo Fr. meintenir (O.Fr. maintenir, 12c.) keep (a wife), sustain; persevere in, practice continually, from L. manu tenere hold in the hand, from manu, ablative of manus hand (see MANUAL (Cf. manual))… …   Etymology dictionary

  • maintain — ► VERB 1) cause or enable (a condition or state of affairs) to continue. 2) keep (a building, machine, etc.) in good condition by checking or repairing it regularly. 3) provide with necessities for life or existence. 4) assert to be the case.… …   English terms dictionary

  • maintain — 01. Tian Hsu works hard to [maintain] close friendships with the students she studied with in London. 02. The roads haven t been properly [maintained], and now are full of cracks and potholes. 03. The President always [maintained] that he didn t… …   Grammatical examples in English

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