maintenance

1. Activities required or undertaken to conserve as nearly, and as long, as possible the original condition of an asset or resource while compensating for normal wear and tear.

2. Accounting: A periodic cost incurred in activities that preserve an asset's operational status without extending its life. Maintenance is an expense that, unlike capital improvement (which extends an asset's life), is not capitalized.

3. Engineering: Actions necessary for retaining or restoring a piece of equipment, machine, or system to the specified operable condition to achieve its maximum useful life. It includes corrective maintenance and preventive maintenance.

4. Law: (1) Meddling in litigation (without having a genuine stake) by taking sides, and/or giving financial or other assistance to one of the litigant parties. See also champerty. (2) Financial support or supply of necessities given on court orders by one party to another such as upon a divorce or legal separation.