(ˈ)mān.ˈtān, mən- transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English mainteinen, maintenen, from Old French maintenir, from Medieval Latin manutenēre, from Latin manu tenēre to know for certain, literally, to hold in the hand, from manu (abl. of manus hand) + tenēre to hold — more at manual , thin
1. : to keep in a state of repair, efficiency, or validity : preserve from failure or decline
exercise … sufficient to maintain bodily and mental vigor — H.G.Armstrong
2.
a. : to sustain against opposition or danger : back up : defend , uphold
only fast ironclad cruisers could maintain the position of the Union against other naval powers — H.K.Beale
b. : to uphold in argument : contend for
maintains his logical position
3. : to persevere in : carry on : keep up : continue
members of the … tribe maintain native customs with ceremonial dances — New York Times
the husband could be certain of maintaining a certain standard of living — Saturday Review
in addition to maintaining his news schedule he served as a fire warden — Current Biography
4. : to provide for : bear the expense of : support
the lady of beauty is maintained as the pampered wife of a wealthy man — Lucy Crockett
two homes, with 145 beds, are maintained for the age and indigent — Americana Annual
5. : to affirm in or as if in argument : assert , declare
maintained that this government was untrustworthy — Collier's Year Book
was maintaining … that “modern society could hardly look worse” — Saturday Review
6. : to assist (a party to legal action) so as to commit maintenance
Synonyms:
assert , defend , vindicate , justify : maintain indicates firm, convinced, persistent upholding of something as true, just, valid, or acceptable
maintain that the whole educational scheme of our schools and colleges should be recast, and that a much larger portion of it should be devoted to modern languages and to history — R.B.Merriman
stubbornly maintained his views in any argument even to insisting upon certain observations which subsequently were shown to be practically impossible — Witmer Stone
assert may indicate a setting forth of something as true, valid, or existent with or without aggressive determination to convince and to silence opposition
that rigid sect which asserts that all real science is precise measurement — Havelock Ellis
in Elizabethan drama, the critic is rash who will assert boldly that any play is by a single hand — T.S.Eliot
what I contend myself with asserting here you can scarcely deny — A.T.Quiller-Couch
defend may apply to a stating as true in the face of attack, objection, or disbelief, often as a calm apologist without the aggressiveness suggested by assert
defended his action by saying it was the best and quickest way — S.H.Holbrook
called upon to defend his action against Russian charges that undesirable persons remained in office — Current Biography
vindicate suggests an adducing with force, cogency, logic, truth, or evidence that overwhelms doubt, hesitancy, denial, or opposition
the aesthetic apologies by which artists and art critics vindicate artistic activity — Bernard Smith
have all vindicated ourselves and received responsible positions — John Dos Passos
justify indicates an appeal to a standard of law or right or to an accepted rule or measure to show the truth, validity, or propriety of something
justified the right of revolution not upon the ground of hostile acts of the people but upon usurpations of authority upon the part of those to whom such authority has been delegated — W.S.Myers
justified his seizure of power on the grounds of an alleged conspiracy by the government to control the elections — Americana Annual