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.
Meanwhile, one-third of seats in U.S. aviation maintenance technician schools remain empty.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
“Secretary Burgum has been clear that resources should be prioritized toward visitor-facing services, public safety, maintenance, and projects that improve the experience for the American people,” an Interior Department spokesperson said in a statement Friday.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
"The siren tower in our village is rusting and leaning and is set to fall any time because there has never been any maintenance."
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
“Beyond simply a cost impact on metals production, this could see metals producers starting to cut back on output or take maintenance downtime in coming months,” the economists write.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
He was the maintenance man for our apartment complex.
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
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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