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

Day-to-day upkeep like mowing the lawn, shoveling snow and even basic housekeeping can become burdensome or unsafe as physical limitations increase.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

They’re buying apartments and workplaces, Ikea furniture and dishes, and providing housekeeping for their teenage and 20-something founders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

The community offers private apartments, chef-prepared meals, housekeeping, transportation and social activities, aiming to provide a “maintenance-free” lifestyle.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

The price-target bump was a necessary bit of housekeeping after Rocket Lab’s big month.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

My motto on housekeeping: when in doubt, wash it out.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Related Words

• housework