Maintain Meaning
/meɪnˈteɪn/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo keep up; to preserve; to uphold (a state, condition etc.).
verbTo declare or affirm (a clause) to be true; to assert.
Sentence Examples
The bureaucrats maintain solid ties with the gigantic corporations.
We must maintain the amicable relations between Japan and the U.S.
We must work hard to maintain high standards of quality control.
CEFR Practice Quiz
To keep your car running smoothly, you must ____ it regularly with oil changes.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It is important to ____ a healthy diet and exercise regularly to stay in good physical shape over time.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English mayntenen, from Old French maintenir, from Late Latin manūteneō, manūtenēre (“I support”), from Latin manū (“with/in/by the hand”, ablative of manus) + tenēre (“to hold”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Ther[idamas]. Won with thy words, & conquered with thy lookes,
I yeeld my ſelfe, my men & horſe to thee:
To be partaker of thy good or ill,
As long as life maintaines Theridimas."
— c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:
"This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer."
— 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
"Mancini's men were far from their best but dug in to earn a 10th win in 11 league games and an eighth successive victory in all competitions to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table."
— 2011 November 5, Phil Dawkes, “QPR 2-3 Man City”, in BBC Sport:
"Reindeer are well suited to the taiga’s frigid winters. They can maintain a thermogradient between body core and the environment of up to 100 degrees, in part because of insulation provided by their fur, and in part because of counter-current vascular heat exchange systems in their legs and nasal passages."
— 2013 March 26, Nancy Langston, “Mining the Boreal North”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 2, page 98:
"Pullman traditionalists will no doubt maintain that the full-service-at-every-seat principle is popular with their clientele; [...]."
— 1962 December, “A new Pullman era?”, in Modern Railways, page 362:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
To keep your car running smoothly, you must ____ it regularly with oil changes.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It is important to ____ a healthy diet and exercise regularly to stay in good physical shape over time.