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
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
Throughout the day, ask the kids to be your housekeeping assistants and encourage them to go on a hunt for dirt spots on the floor or dust on surfaces.
—Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Mia Pirrello, the housekeeping manager at The Harpeth Hotel in Franklin, Tennessee, agrees.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
Learn more about the shelf life of this housekeeping essential, along with tips for extending its freshness.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for housekeeping
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Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Throughout the day, ask the kids to be your housekeeping assistants and encourage them to go on a hunt for dirt spots on the floor or dust on surfaces.
—Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Mia Pirrello, the housekeeping manager at The Harpeth Hotel in Franklin, Tennessee, agrees.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
Learn more about the shelf life of this housekeeping essential, along with tips for extending its freshness.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 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 12 Mar. 2026.
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