maintenance
B2Neutral to formal. Common in technical, business, legal, and everyday contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The process of keeping something in good working condition or existing state.
The act of supporting or sustaining something (e.g., a family, a legal claim, a software system). Also, a provision of financial support.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A non-count noun. Can describe both routine activities (car maintenance) and a state of being preserved (maintenance of order).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major semantic differences. In UK English, "maintainance" is a common misspelling reflecting pronunciation. US English consistently uses "maintenance".
Connotations
In legal contexts, 'maintenance' in the UK historically referred to the offence of aiding a party in litigation, a usage largely obsolete in the US.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in US technical/business registers, but broadly comparable.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[VERB] + maintenance: perform, carry out, require, needmaintenance + [PREP] + [NOUN]: maintenance of equipment, maintenance on a vehicleVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “High maintenance (describing a demanding person or thing)”
- “Low maintenance (the opposite)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Managing ongoing costs for equipment and facilities.
Academic
Discussing the preservation of biodiversity or historical sites.
Everyday
Talking about car or home repairs.
Technical
Planned engineering activities to ensure system reliability.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The software is maintained by an external contractor.
American English
- The homeowners' association maintains the common areas.
adjective
British English
- The maintenance crew arrived to fix the lift.
American English
- We have a scheduled maintenance window this weekend.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The car needs regular maintenance.
- Who does the maintenance in your building?
- The annual maintenance of the heating system is expensive.
- Proper maintenance can extend the life of your laptop.
- The contract includes full maintenance of all installed equipment.
- She receives maintenance from her ex-husband for their child.
- The judicial review centred on the maintenance of public order.
- Evolutionary pressure involves the maintenance of favourable genetic traits.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: To MAINTAIN something, you perform MAIN-TEN-ANCE (like giving it 'ten instances' of care).
Conceptual Metaphor
UPKEEP IS SUPPORT (supporting a structure/state), PRESERVATION IS A JOURNEY (keeping something on the same path).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly to 'сервис' (service) or 'ремонт' (repair). 'Maintenance' is broader, including prevention. 'Содержание' or 'техническое обслуживание' are closer equivalents.
- Do not confuse with 'maintain' (the verb).
Common Mistakes
- Spelling: 'maintainance' (incorrect).
- Grammar: Using as a plural countable noun (e.g., 'maintenances'). It is uncountable.
- Pronunciation: Pronouncing the middle 'te' as 'tay' (/meɪnˈteɪnəns/) is non-standard.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'maintenance' used INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is uncountable. You cannot say 'one maintenance' or 'maintenances'.
'Maintenance' is proactive and preventative to keep something working. 'Repair' is reactive, fixing something after it has broken.
It contains the verb 'maintain', but the spelling changes to '-tenance'. Many mistakenly spell it 'maintainance' based on pronunciation.
Yes, in legal contexts, especially UK English, it can mean financial support paid by one spouse to another after divorce ('spousal maintenance') or for child support.
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