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 government is seeking unspecified damages and to require the utility to develop an enhanced operations and maintenance plan for its sewer lines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
This includes property tax, insurance, utilities, maintenance, services and mortgage interest.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 19, 2026
The nuclear plant itself needs constant monitoring and maintenance.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
There was a “very minor incident” on Monday where one slowly moving train bumped into another inside a maintenance and storage facility, Adams said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
On Saturdays he cleaned the pool and did garden maintenance.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
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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