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.
Larson told the Associated Press she had paid $120,000 in installments for her cabin, in addition to monthly maintenance fees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
It was also the 285th spacewalk conducted to support the assembly, maintenance, and improvement of the International Space Station.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
Varayur says buying a one bedroom-hall-kitchen unit in a senior living project can cost 6m rupees, with additional payment for maintenance and food.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
But many Syrians lack the funds to buy the cars in the first place, while ensuring regular charging and maintenance can also be a challenge, Hamad noted.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
With nothing to really aspire to, life had become about maintenance.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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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