housekeeping

noun

house·​keep·​ing ˈhau̇s-ˌkē-piŋ How to pronounce housekeeping (audio)
1
a
: the management of a house and home affairs
… coming home to husbands who won't share in the housekeepingThe Wilson Quarterly
The first defense against insect infestation is good housekeeping (regular vacuuming) to remove eggs and larvae from the fabrics.Sara J. Wolf
b
: the work or activity of cleaning and preparing rooms for customers (as in a hotel)
often used before another noun
housekeeping services
took a housekeeping job at a nearby hotel
also : the department or employees responsible for doing such work
If you need fresh towels you can call housekeeping.
2
: the care and management of property and the provision of equipment and services (as for an industrial organization)
3
: the routine tasks that must be done in order for a system to function or to function efficiently
performing some computer housekeeping by deleting old files

Examples of housekeeping in a Sentence

We took the computer offline to do some basic housekeeping.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Salazar eventually was hired alongside her, and the two became a housekeeping team. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025 Interestingly, unemployment in the local housekeeping sector actually decreased by 2.9% after TaskRabbit entered, and 6.9% more workers transitioned to self-employment. London School Of Economics, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025 Teton Valley Cabins offers pet-friendly log cabins, and guests can take advantage of the hot tub, high-speed Wifi, and daily housekeeping services. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2024 Seniors receive excellent service with weekly housekeeping, personal grocery shopping, a 24-hour pharmacy pick-up, basic technology training, and more. Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for housekeeping 

Word History

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of housekeeping was in 1529

Dictionary Entries Near housekeeping

Cite this Entry

“Housekeeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housekeeping. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

housekeeping

noun
house·​keep·​ing
ˈhau̇-ˌskē-piŋ
: the care and management of a house and home affairs

More from Merriam-Webster on housekeeping

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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