housekeeping
noun
house·keep·ing
ˈhau̇s-ˌkē-piŋ 
1
a
: the management of a house and home affairs
… coming home to husbands who won't share in the housekeeping …—
The Wilson Quarterly
The Wilson QuarterlyThe first defense against insect infestation is good housekeeping (regular vacuuming) to remove eggs and larvae from the fabrics.—Sara J. Wolf
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
The housekeeping team fogs the balés every week to keep most of the biting insects at bay, and gardens teeming with mosquito-repelling lemongrass and zodia plants help keep them at a distance.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
In an unrelated housekeeping matter, Gettleman also noted that former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem would be replaced in the suit by her successor, Markwayne Mullin, who was sworn in last week.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
There are far more women than men doing low-wage work in restaurants, hotel housekeeping, and child care.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 26 Mar. 2026
Scores are based on eight areas of the ship, including galleys and dining rooms, medical centers, housekeeping, potable water systems, heating systems, and pest management.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for housekeeping
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Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
In an unrelated housekeeping matter, Gettleman also noted that former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem would be replaced in the suit by her successor, Markwayne Mullin, who was sworn in last week.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
There are far more women than men doing low-wage work in restaurants, hotel housekeeping, and child care.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 26 Mar. 2026
Scores are based on eight areas of the ship, including galleys and dining rooms, medical centers, housekeeping, potable water systems, heating systems, and pest management.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for housekeeping
Cite this Entry
“Housekeeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housekeeping. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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