预防性养护是一种新的路面养护理念。根据美国各州公路和运输官员协会（American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials,简称AASHTO）公路标准委员会的定义，路面预防性养护（Pavement Preventive Maintenance，简称PPM）是指在不增加路面结构承载力的前提下，对结构完好的路面或附属设施有计划地采取某种具有费用效益的措施，以达到保养路面系统、延缓损坏、保持或改进路面功能状况的目的。其英文定义原文为“Preventive Maintenance is a planned strategy of cost-effective treatments to an existing roadway system and it's appurtenances that preserves the system, retards future deterioration, and maintains or improves the functional condition of the system (without significantly increasing the structural capacity)”。

目前我国现行的标准规范体系中还没有预防性养护的定义，养护工程分类中也还没有预防性养护。