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 Along with landmark views, a private sauna, and multiple terraces, perks for residents of the white-glove building include daily housekeeping services. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 22 May 2024 When Araminta and her daughters head to a masquerade ball at Bridgerton House, the housekeeping staff get Sophie all dolled up in a silver dress and gloves belonging to the earl’s late mother, and tell her to leave the ball at midnight, so she doesn’t get caught. Kari Sonde, TIME, 21 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for housekeeping 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'housekeeping.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 29 May. 2024.

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

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