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1. Cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity
   - keep, hold
    
2. Keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction
   "children must be taught to maintain our national heritage";
   - conserve, preserve, keep up
    
3. Supply with necessities and support
   "She alone maintained her family";
   - sustain, keep
    
4. State categorically
   - assert, asseverate
    
5. Have and exercise
   "maintain power and authority";
   - wield, exert
    
6. Have and look after for use and service
   "I maintain a car in the countryside";
   - keep
    
7. Maintain by writing regular records
   "maintain a record";
   - keep
    
8. State or assert
   "He maintained his innocence";
   - defend
    
9. Support against an opponent
   "The appellate court maintained the verdict";
   - uphold
    
10. Stick to correctly or closely
    "The pianist maintained time with the metronome";
    - observe, keep

Derived forms: maintains, maintaining, maintained

See also: avoid, keep down, keep in, keep off, keep up, set apart, shut out, sustain

Type of: affirm, confirm, enter, have, have got, hold, insist, keep, put down, reassert, record, take a firm stand

Encyclopedia: Maintain