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.
Postal Service last week announced its first-ever temporary price increase specifically to help cover rising fuel, insurance, vehicle maintenance and other costs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Drivers who use the roads pay for road construction and maintenance when they pay fuel taxes.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
Five out of CalMac's 11 major vessels remain out of action along with the chartered catamaran Alfred and two smaller ferries, either due to faults or scheduled maintenance.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
For maintenance, Smee says he prunes once each season, four times a year.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
See, Granddaddy was a city maintenance worker for forty years.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
