maintaining

Keeping in shape

Maintaining is keeping something in its current state or condition.

You maintain a car by servicing it regularly, maintain a friendship through ongoing contact, maintain your composure under pressure.

To maintain a position is to assert it firmly: She maintained her innocence throughout the trial.

The word implies continuous effort against forces of change or decay.

upkeep

servicing

Performing routine maintenance

cleaningRemoving dirt and mess
inspectionFormal assessment of condition
calibrationAdjusting for measurement accuracy

tune-up · lubrication · adjustment · reconditioning · refurbishing · polishing · oiling · greasing · detailing · restocking

sustenance

support

To uphold or sustain

nurtureSupport growth and development
fosterEncourage development of
bolsterStrengthen or buttress

strengthen · fortify · nourish · perpetuate · prolong · endure · cultivate · encourage · promote · sustain

preservation

conservation

Preventing waste or loss

heritageInherited cultural legacy
protectKeep from harm
conserveKeep from being depleted

safeguard · traditions · customs · archives · artifacts · monuments · biodiversity · endangered · ecology · stewardship

continuity

consistency

Reliable adherence to standards

flowUnbroken forward movement
progressionSequential forward movement
sequenceOrdered succession of elements

coherence · uninterrupted · thread · narrative · transition · alignment · integration · linkage · seamless · steady

stability

equilibrium

State of balance

balanceSteadiness or amount owed
steadinessState of being constant
foundationUnderlying support structure

support · structure · reinforcement · anchoring · firmness · constancy · homeostasis · robustness · durability · solidity

repair

fix

Repair or solution

mechanicVehicle maintenance professional
technicianSkilled practical worker
workshopPlace for making or learning

diagnose · malfunction · restoration · overhaul · troubleshoot · parts · replacement · breakdown · faulty · damaged

Categories

home activitiescleaning, cooking, sleeping, bathing, eating
assertionsassertions, asserting, assert, statements, stating
armor carepolishing, oiling, cleaning, repairing, mending
certaintycertain, sure, uncertain, unsure, definite
distributingdistributing, dispensing, allocating, apportioning, doling out
office workdesk work, filing, desks, email, emails

Opposites

preservation vs. abandonment

maintainingabandoning

Leaving permanently behind

neglecting · forsaking · ditching · discarding · letting go

assertion vs. retraction

maintainingdenying

Refusing to acknowledge

retracting · recanting · disavowing · renouncing · withdrawing

stability vs. change

maintainingchanging

Becoming something else

altering · disrupting · destabilizing · undermining · transforming

Family

maintain, maintenance, maintained, maintains, maintainer, unmaintained, maintainable, maintainers, maintainability

Familiarity: Top 10,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G