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.
Investors also fear that generative AI could disrupt the country's $315-billion IT services industry by automating tasks long outsourced to India, such as customer service and app maintenance.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
France’s aging fleet of water-bombing planes has frequently been grounded for maintenance, prompting debate over the country’s wildfire readiness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The majority of senior citizens have a strong desire to age in place but ignore the ongoing costs of home modifications, property taxes, insurance premiums, maintenance and repairs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
The Daily Mail carries an exclusive on "fictitious" child maintenance charges that have left some parents "financially crippled".
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Irina was assigned to become an armorer, loading bombs and guns and doing necessary maintenance work.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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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