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.
It’s not unusual for first-time home-buyers to face a learning curve in home maintenance, says Todd Luong, a real estate agent with Re/Max DFW Associates.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
“Being responsible for a house—especially for me, who grew up in an apartment building that had a maintenance person—you don’t realize how overwhelming it really is,” she shared.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
A spokesperson said MLA travel allowances were "designed to cover the general costs of travel" including vehicle taxes, insurance and maintenance.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
His body was found inside the unlocked SUV three days later when Wenrick told the fleet maintenance crew to take the patrol cars to be washed.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
He gave one of the armorers a lecture about the importance of good maintenance.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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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