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What's the difference between remain and maintain?

Sentence 1: This research shows that Christmas remains a time of generous charitable giving.

Sentence 2: Stephen Dunmore, the CEO of the Fundraising Regulator, which maintains standards for charitable fundraising ...

Why are 'remain' in sentence 1 and 'maintain' in sentence 2 not interchangeable?

I looked them up but the definitions still sound really similar to me. (maintain) make sth continue at the same level, standard ; (remain) continue to be sth; to be still in the same state or condition...

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    Welcome to ELU. Have you consulted a dictionary? Any standard English dictionary should tell you the difference between these two words.
    – user405662
    Commented Mar 4 at 6:41
  • Yes... I looked them up but the definitions still sound really similar to me. (maintain) make sth continue at the same level, standard ; (remain) continue to be sth; to be still in the same state or condition...
    – Liang Sihao
    Commented Mar 4 at 7:25
  • Maybe the difference is quiet obvious to native speakers？ As an English leanrner, they are pretty confusing...
    – Liang Sihao
    Commented Mar 4 at 7:27
  • You should perhaps look up the difference between copulative verbs(remains in your example sentence) and transitive verbs/ action verbs (maintains in the other sentence.) I'm sure the confusion won't remain thereafter.
    – user405662
    Commented Mar 4 at 7:37
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    Look at your definitions again. Remain = continue to be. Maintain = make something [else] continue to be.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Mar 4 at 13:08

2 Answers 2

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A dictionary would probably have explained the difference, but I have noted that 'maintain' seems to be used far more these days in a jargonistic way, which can dilute the meaning of a word and may have contributed to your confusion.

  • "Remain" simply means to continue to exist. Something can exist without any effort. For example, if you park your car somewhere it will 'remain' there until you retrieve it. To say something has remained a certain way can also mean that it has done so despite external factors that could have changed it.

  • "Maintain" means to continue something; to actively keep something in a particular state. For example, you have to regularly perform maintenance in your garden to keep it looking the same way. If you don't, it will become overgrown. Effort is involved.

To apply that to your examples - your first says that 'Christmas' has remained a certain way. That means it has not changed by itself, nor have any other external factors influenced a change. In your second example, someone is responsible for maintaining something - it is their job role; something they actively do.

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  • Ah. I see. "Maintain" needs to put efforts to stay at that level/state.
    – Liang Sihao
    Commented Mar 4 at 12:50
  • @LiangSihao yes. There could be contexts where 'remaining' could involve effort, but in such situations you would still also be 'maintaining' a position.
    – Astralbee
    Commented Mar 4 at 14:48
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remain verb

  1. linking verb to continue to be something; to be still in the same state or condition
  • to remain standing/seated/motionless
  • to remain calm/confident
  • Train fares are likely to remain unchanged.

oxford learns dictionary remian

maintain verb

  1. maintain something to make something continue at the same level, standard, etc.
  • to maintain law and order/standards/a balance/control
  • ANU has maintained its position as Australia's top university.
  • The two countries have always maintained close relations.

oxford learners dictionary maintain

Maintain is an active verb you have to do stuff to maintain the status quo
Remain is a passive verb it describes almost not doing anything,

remain seated

requires you NOT to stand up

So to your examples:

This research shows that Christmas remains a time of generous charitable giving.

NOTHING has changed nothing has happened Christmas is still a time of generous charity

Stephen Dunmore, the CEO of the Fundraising Regulator, which maintains standards for charitable fundraising ...

The fundraising regulator puts effort into (maintains) ensuring the standards for charities remain (stay the same) high and doing the jobs the charities were designed to do. I.e. the dogs trust spends it's money looking after dogs not sending the board on cruises and expensive nights out.

Last thought I am not actually sure why "remain" is a verb it is almost like it is a verb because it didn't neatly fit anywhere else. I am going to ask this as my own question. So I got an answer Why is remain a verb

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    Aha! "Maintain is an active verb you have to do stuff to maintain the status quo Remain is a passive verb it describes almost not doing anything" This is super useful tip for me tell apart these two words!
    – Liang Sihao
    Commented Mar 4 at 12:44
  • thank @YonKuma fixed that typo.
    – WendyG
    Commented Mar 4 at 15:16
  • @LiangSihao It's not really about activity level. The key really will be in researching the term others have mentioned, "transitive" vs. "intransitive." That is, do you just "do the thing," or do you "do it TO a thing"? Some intransitive verbs can be quite active; I can "run." I'm not doing that to anything; I'm just doing it. And some transitive verbs can be quite passive; I can "think a thought." (Note, both of these verbs can also be used the opposite way; I can "run a race" or just "think." That's not usually true of "remain" and "maintain.")
    – Andy Bonner
    Commented Mar 4 at 15:43

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