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

An engineering student at London University who previously worked as a housekeeping assistant at a hospital in Birmingham.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026

One of his former co-workers now instead helps his wife with housekeeping work, while at least two simply stay home, living off their savings and odd jobs, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 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

When the school day finally ends, Mom is waiting for me outside, still in her housekeeping uniform.

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

Related Words

• housework