MAINTAIN

maintain. Maintain, v. to preserve, keep, support, uphold

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Main‐tain (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Maintained (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Maintaining.] [[OE. maintenen, F. maintenir, properly, to hold by the hand; main hand (L. manus) + F. tenir to hold (L. tenere). See Manual, and Tenable.]] 1. 1. To hold or keep in any particular state or condition; to support; to sustain; to uphold; to keep up; not to suffer to fail or decline; as, to maintain a certain degree of heat in a furnace; to maintain a fence or a railroad; to maintain the digestive process or powers of the stomach; to maintain the fertility of soil; to maintain present reputation.
2. 2. To keep possession of; to hold and defend; not to surrender or relinquish.
God values . . . every one as he maintains his post. Grew. 3. 3. To continue; not to suffer to cease or fail.
Maintain talk with the duke. Shak. 4. 4. To bear the expense of; to support; to keep up; to supply with what is needed.
Glad, by his labor, to maintain his life. Stirling. What maintains one vice would bring up two children. Franklin. 5. 5. To affirm; to support or defend by argument.
It is hard to maintain the truth, but much harder to be maintained by it. South. Syn. — To assert; vindicate; allege. See Assert.