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.
There have also been improvements to the course's internal road system to provide better access and for routine maintenance.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
That doesn’t include an estimated shortfall of 15,000 noncertificated maintenance personnel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
The lower staffing has prompted worry about parks’ capacity for emergency response, protection of the natural landscape and custodial maintenance.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
“Beyond simply a cost impact on metals production, this could see metals producers starting to cut back on output or take maintenance downtime in coming months,” the economists write.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
“I can’t. My mom needs me to wait at home for the maintenance guy. For some reason our hot water won’t work.”
From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling
Vocabulary lists containing maintenance
Freak the Mighty
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
