What does "maintenance" mean?
Maintenance: That which maintains or supports; means of sustenance; supply of necessaries and conveniences. Those of better fortune not making learning their maintenance. Swift.
Additional senses
- 2.(Crim. Law) 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. Cap of maintenance. See under Cap.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/answers/what-does-maintenance-mean
- Steward: Jason Burns
- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00