maintenance

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: main=te=nance

CIDE DICTIONARY

maintenance, n. [OF. maintenance. See Maintain.].

•  The act of maintaining; sustenance; support; defense; vindication.  [1913 Webster]

  "Whatsoever is granted to the church for God's honor and the maintenance of his service, is granted to God."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which maintains or supports; means of sustenance; supply of necessaries and conveniences.  [1913 Webster]

  "Those of better fortune not making learning their maintenance."  [1913 Webster]
•  An officious or unlawful intermeddling in a cause depending between others, by assisting either party with money or means to carry it on. See Champerty.  Wharton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Those actions required for the care of machinery, a building, etc., to keep it clean and in proper functioning condition, and to prevent or forestall damage due to normal use.  [PJC]
•  Payments, such as child support or alimony, to a dependent child not living with one or to a divorced wife.  [PJC]

Cap of maintenance. See under Cap.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

maintenance, n.
1 the process of maintaining or being maintained.
2 a the provision of the means to support life, esp. by work etc. b (also separate maintenance) a husband's or wife's provision for a spouse after separation or divorce; alimony.
3 Law hist. the offence of aiding a party in litigation without lawful cause.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. maintenir: see MAINTAIN

THESAURUS

maintenance

TLC, abidingness, age, aid, alimentation, alimony, allowance, antiquity, backing, bottling up, bread, care, carriage, carrying, conservancy, conservation, conservationism, constancy, continualness, continuance, continuation, continuity, contribution, corking up, daily bread, defeat of time, defiance of time, diuturnity, durability, durableness, duration, economic support, endowment, endurance, environmental conservation, extension, forest conservation, forest management, holding, holding in, inhibition, keep, keeping, lastingness, lengthening, livelihood, living, locking in, long standing, long-lastingness, long-livedness, longevity, maintaining, manna, meat, moral support, mothering, nourishment, nurture, paying the bills, perdurability, perennation, permanence, perpetuation, perpetuity, perseverance, persistence, prehension, preserval, preservation, price support, progress, progression, prolongation, protection, protraction, provision, psychological support, pursuance, reliance, repetition, repression, retainment, retention, retentiveness, retentivity, run, safekeeping, salt, salvage, salvation, saving, security blanket, soil conservation, stability, standing, standing treat, staying power, steadfastness, stipend, straight course, stream conservation, subsidization, subsidy, subsistence, subvention, support, supportive relationship, supportive therapy, suppression, survival, survivance, sustained action, sustaining, sustainment, sustenance, sustentation, tenacity, tender loving care, treat, uninterrupted course, unremittingness, upholding, upkeep, water conservation, way, wetlands conservation, wildlife conservation

ROGET THESAURUS

maintenance

Preservation

N preservation, safe-keeping, conservation, maintenance, support, susteritation, conservatism, vis conservatrix, salvation, prophylaxis, preserver, preservative, additive, antibiotics, antifungals, biocide, hygiastics, hygiantics, cover, drugget, cordon sanitaire, canning, ensilage, tinned goods, canned goods, snake oil, spider webs, cure-all, laetrile, charm, preserving, conservative, prophylactic, preservatory, preservative, hygienic, preserved, unimpaired, unbroken, uninjured, unhurt, unsinged, unmarred, safe, safe and sound, intact, with a whole skin, nolumus leges Angliae mutari.

Permanence

N permanence, stability, quiescence, obstinacy, permanence, persistence, endurance, durability, standing, status quo, maintenance, preservation, conservation, conservation, law of the Medes and Persians, standing dish, stable, persisting, permanent, established, unchanged &c (change), renewed, intact, inviolate, persistent, monotonous, uncheckered, unfailing, undestroyed, unrepealed, unsuppressed, conservative, qualis ab incepto, prescriptive, stationary, in statu quo, for good, finally, at a stand, at a standstill, uti possidetis, without a shadow of turning, esto perpetua, nolumus leges Angliae mutari, j'y suis et j'y ereste.

Wealth

N wealth, riches, fortune, handsome fortune, opulence, affluence, good circumstances, easy circumstances, independence, competence, solvency, provision, livelihood, maintenance, alimony, dowry, means, resources, substance, property, command of money, income, capital, money, round sum, mint of money, mine of wealth, El Dorado, bonanza, Pacatolus, Golconda, Potosi, long purse, full purse, well lined purse, heavy purse, deep pockets, purse of Fortunatus, embarras de richesses, pelf, Mammon, lucre, filthy lucre, loaves and fishes, rich man, moneyed man, warm man, man of substance, capitalist, millionaire, tippybob, Nabob, Croesus, idas, Plutus, Dives, Timon of Athens, Timocracy, Plutocracy, Danae, wealthy, rich, affluent, opulent, moneyed, monied, worth much, well to do, well off, warm, comfortable, well, well provided for, made of money, rich as Croesus, filthy rich, rich as a Jew, rolling in riches, rolling in wealth, flush, flush of cash, flush of money, flush of tin, in funds, in cash, in full feather, solvent, pecunious, out of debt, in the black, all straight, one's ship coming in, amour fait beaucoup mais argent fait tout, love does much but money does everything, aurea rumpunt tecta quietem, magna servitus ist magna fortuna, mammon, the least erected spirit that fell from Heaven, opum furiata cupido, vera prosperita e non aver necessita, wie gewonnen so zerronnen.

Agency

N agency, operation, force, working, strain, function, office, maintenance, exercise, work, swing, play, interworking, interaction, procurement, causation, instrumentality, influence, action, modus operandi, quickening power, maintaining power, sustaining power, home stroke, operative, efficient, efficacious, practical, effectual, at work, on foot, acting, in operation, in force, in action, in play, in exercise, acted upon, wrought upon, by the agency of through, by means of, I myself must mix with action lest I wither by des.