maintenance
Usage
What are other ways to say maintenance?
Generally, maintenance refers to care or upkeep, as of machinery or property. But sometimes, maintenance refers to what is spent for the living of another: to provide for the maintenance or support of someone. Maintenance occasionally refers to the allowance itself provided for livelihood: They are entitled to a maintenance from this estate. Living and livelihood (a somewhat more formal word), both refer to what one earns to keep (oneself) alive, but are seldom interchangeable within the same phrase: to earn one's living; to threaten one's livelihood. “To make a living” suggests making just enough to keep alive, and is particularly frequent in the negative: You cannot make a living out of that. “To make a livelihood out of something” suggests rather making a business of it: to make a livelihood out of knitting hats.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The results point to an unexpected role for genes typically associated with basic cellular maintenance, suggesting they can also influence key metabolic traits in fruit.
From Science Daily • May 5, 2026
Multiple buildings stand on the property, including three separate guesthouses, a 5,500-square-foot movie theater with a stage, several barns, animal shelter facilities, corrals, and a maintenance shop.
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
As the pandemic receded, carriers including Spirit and Frontier Airlines held fares low to maintain a competitive advantage, despite rising labor and maintenance costs.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
Their maintenance team is evaluating the damage to the plane, the statement added.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
A maintenance worker was in the reactor building at unit 2 when he heard rumbling in the basement.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Vocabulary lists containing maintenance
Freak the Mighty
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Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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