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.
She said ongoing costs including maintenance charges, ground rent and council tax created a "real money drain".
From BBC • May 22, 2026
AFP spoke to foreign attendees from the European Union, the Middle East and Southeast Asia on Thursday, drawn to Shenzhen's prowess for everything from infrastructure maintenance and aerial monitoring to racing events.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
“These persistent problems highlight the need for sustained investment and maintenance to improve the area’s environmental health,” the report states.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
But skipping and delaying maintenance may mean bigger repairs later.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Homer’s duties encompassed driving the team, sundry maintenance, and what Ridgeway termed “bookkeeping.”
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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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