housekeeping

American  

[hous-kee-ping] / ˈhaʊsˌki pɪŋ /

noun

1. the maintenance of a house or domestic establishment.

2. the management of household affairs.

3. the management, care, and servicing of property and equipment of an industrial or commercial building or organization.

4. the ongoing routine, procedures, operations, and management of a commercial enterprise, government, organization, or the like.

5. Computers. system tasks, as initialization and managing peripheral devices, that must be done to permit a computer program to execute properly but that do not directly contribute to program output.

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housekeeping British  

/ ˈhaʊsˌkiːpɪŋ /

noun

1. the running of a household

2. money allocated for the running of a household

3. organization and tidiness in general, as of an office, shop, etc

4. the general maintenance of a computer storage system, including removal of obsolete files, documentation, security copying, etc

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Etymology

Origin of housekeeping

First recorded in 1530–40; house + keeping

Example Sentences

Vijay Dandapani, chief executive of the Hotel Association of New York City, which represents hotel owners, said the housekeeping bill would have increased labor costs by 40%.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

This includes restaurant workers like bartenders, wait staff and dishwashers; hospitality workers including concierges and housekeeping staff; as well as tour guides, personal trainers and hairdressers.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

They focused on a housekeeping gene called FveIPT2.

From Science Daily • May 5, 2026

In late 2024, housekeeping supervisors Patsy and Elsy, who are referred to in the first lawsuit against Jenner as well, by their first names only, stepped into their leadership roles.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

I jump to my feet and go directly to the pockets of her housekeeping apron, which she keeps folded next to the TV.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Related Words

• housework