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`Meaning of maintain in English
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`maintain
`
`verb [ T ]
`US /meɪnˈteɪn /
`
`maintain verb [T] (CONTINUE TO HAVE)
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`to continue to have; to keep in existence, or not allow to become less:
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`•
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`Despite living in different states, the two families have maintained a close friendship.
`You have to maintain a minimum balance in your checking account.
`
`Want to learn more?
`Improve your vocabulary with English Vocabulary in Use from Cambridge.
`Learn the words you need to communicate with confidence.
`
`maintain verb [T] (PRESERVE)
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`to keep something in good condition:
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`• m
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`A large house costs a lot to maintain.
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`aintain verb [T] (EXPRESS)
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`to express strongly your belief that something is true:
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` Contents
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`https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/maintain[2/6/2020 10:38:37 AM]
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`MAINTAIN | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
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`•
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`[ + (that) clause ] She maintains (that) she’s being criticized simply for telling the truth.
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`(Definition of maintain from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
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`maintain | ENGLISH
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`maintain
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`verb [ T ]
`UK /meɪnˈteɪn / US /meɪnˈteɪn /
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`maintain verb [T] (CONTINUE TO HAVE)
`
`B2
`to continue to have; to keep in existence, or not allow to become less:
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`•
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`The army has been brought in to maintain order in the region.
`We have standards to maintain.
`Despite living in different countries, the two families have maintained close links.
`The film has maintained its position as the critics' favourite for another year.
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` More examples
`•
`With an election approaching, the prime minister is keen to maintain his popularity.
`The Queen has maintained political neutrality throughout her reign.
`•
`Security during the president's visit must be maintained at all costs.
`•
`Several of the teachers were quite unable to maintain discipline.
`•
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`https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/maintain[2/6/2020 10:38:37 AM]
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`MAINTAIN | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
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`•
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`The United Nations has maintained a presence in the region for some time.
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` Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
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`maintain verb [T] (KEEP IN GOOD CONDITION)
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`B2
`to keep a road, machine, building, etc. in good condition:
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`•
`•
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`A large house costs a lot to maintain.
`The roads in the town have been very poorly maintained.
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` Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
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`maintain verb [T] (EXPRESS)
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`C2
`to express firmly your belief that something is true:
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`•
`•
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`Throughout his prison sentence, Dunn has always maintained his innocence.
`[ + that ] He maintains that he has never seen the woman before.
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` More examples
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` Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
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`https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/maintain[2/6/2020 10:38:37 AM]
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`MAINTAIN | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
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`maintain verb [T] (PROVIDE)
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`to provide someone with food and whatever is necessary for them to live on:
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`•
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`They barely earn enough to maintain themselves and their four children.
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` Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
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`(Definition of maintain from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
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`maintain | BUSINESS ENGLISH
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`maintain
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`verb [ T ]
`UK /meɪnˈteɪn / US
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`to make something continue in the same way or at the same level:
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`Maintaining a company's brand and reputation requires a lot of hard work.
`Charities need only give 5% of proceeds each year to maintain a tax exemption.
`We have been able to maintain prices for our customers at their current level.
`The college has maintained links with similar institutions in other parts of the country.
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`to keep a building, machine, road, etc. in good condition by checking it regularly and
`repairing it if necessary:
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`•
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`The premises are clean and well maintained.
`Communication is made difficult by the poorly maintained road network.
`The commission operates and maintains 20 river bridges.
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`FINANCE
`to make regular payments in order to support someone financially or to keep
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`https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/maintain[2/6/2020 10:38:37 AM]
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`MAINTAIN | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
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`something that you already own:
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`•
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`More and more people are struggling to afford the cost of maintaining a home.
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`to say firmly that something is true:
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`•
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`maintain (that) Senior accountants at the firm maintained they knew nothing of the
`transactions.
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`(Definition of maintain from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
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`EXAMPLES of maintain
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`maintain
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`Tearless crying is about maintaining balance in the actual situation, to protect oneself and others by
`covering any observable emotions.
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`From Cambridge English Corpus
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`With respect to public debt, we assume that the government maintains an exogenously fixed ratio of
`debt to output.
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`From Cambridge English Corpus
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`These examples are from the Cambridge English Corpus and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent
`the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
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`More examples
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`https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/maintain[2/6/2020 10:38:37 AM]
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