- (v.t.) To hold or keep in any particular state or condition; to support; to sustain; to uphold; to keep up; not to suffer to fail or decline; as, to maintain a certain degree of heat in a furnace; to maintain a fence or a railroad; to maintain the digestive process or powers of the stomach; to maintain the fertility of soil; to maintain present reputation.
- (v.t.) To affirm; to support or defend by argument.
- (v.t.) To bear the expense of; to support; to keep up; to supply with what is needed.
- (v.t.) To continue; not to suffer to cease or fail.
- (v.t.) To keep possession of; to hold and defend; not to surrender or relinquish.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). maintain. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/maintain/definitions/2029894 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "maintain" http://smartdefine.org/maintain/definitions/2029894 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, maintain, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/maintain/definitions/2029894>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "maintain" 27 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/maintain/definitions/2029894> |