maintain (v.)

  1. keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., keep clean; hold in place; She always held herself as a lady; The students keep me on my toes

    [ Syn: keep , hold ]

  2. stick to correctly or closely; The pianist kept time with the metronome; keep count; I cannot keep track of all my employees

    [ Syn: observe , keep ]

  3. keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction; We preserve these archeological findings; The old lady could not keep up the building; children must be taught to conserve our national heritage; The museum curator conserved the ancient manuscripts

    [ Syn: conserve , preserve , keep up ]

  4. supply with necessities and support; She alone sustained her family; The money will sustain our good cause; Theres little to earn and many to keep

    [ Syn: sustain , keep ]

  5. state categorically

    [ Syn: assert , asseverate ]

  6. have and exercise; wield power and authority

    [ Syn: wield , exert ]

  7. maintain for use and service; I keep a car in the countryside; She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips

    [ Syn: keep ]

  8. maintain by writing regular records; keep a diary; maintain a record; keep notes

    [ Syn: keep ]

  9. state or assert; He maintained his innocence

    [ Syn: defend ]

  10. support against an opponent; The appellate court upheld the verdict

    [ Syn: uphold ]

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.