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.
If you look at the paperwork, you will see — somewhere — that your storage fees are included in the bill for your maintenance.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
Cheniere Energy, another gas exporter, has said it is considering deferring maintenance at some of its units to produce more supplies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Routine maintenance may have to wait until a lasting truce emerges and demining can take place.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
A spokesperson for the University of Sunderland confirmed that its part-time education studies course had been classified as distance learning and was therefore ineligible for maintenance loans.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
“Brother Apunda is getting older, and he needs help overseeing temple maintenance, especially with the Bonding coming up in two months...”
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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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