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 drop-off is forcing dealers to compete more for routine, out-of-pocket maintenance and repair business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
The 2021 spill was related to poor maintenance, not an overwhelming amount of rain, said Mark Gold, director of the California Ocean Ecosystem Monitoring Program at UCLA.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
But Zelensky told the Financial Times that around half of Ukraine's fleet was spending lengthy maintenance periods in Europe.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Even if rates don’t go up, someone relying too much on fixed income could find themselves lacking the liquidity needed for an unexpected emergency expense, such as a medical bill or home maintenance.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
“Ms. Caldwell, you sure you want us to start tonight?” the chief of maintenance asked, handing her some earmuffs.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
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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