housekeeping

noun

house·​keep·​ing ˈhau̇s-ˌkē-piŋ How to pronounce housekeeping (audio)
1
a
: the management of a house and home affairs
… coming home to husbands who won't share in the housekeepingThe Wilson Quarterly
The first defense against insect infestation is good housekeeping (regular vacuuming) to remove eggs and larvae from the fabrics.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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Years later, her housekeeping skills attracted a new groom, a widower with a young daughter named Ida. Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025 So Coop enlists his old partner in crime Elena to volunteer her housekeeping services to Sam, and when Sam leaves to run errands, Elena lets Coop in to snoop for the burner phone. Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 30 May 2025 This will lower job growth in low-skilled occupations, hitting farming, food processing, construction, housekeeping and restaurant cooking. Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025 Window gardens became cultural symbols of cleanliness and good housekeeping. Sonja Dümpelmann, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for housekeeping

Word History

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of housekeeping was in 1529

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Housekeeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housekeeping. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

housekeeping

noun
house·​keep·​ing
ˈhau̇-ˌskē-piŋ
: the care and management of a house and home affairs

More from Merriam-Webster on housekeeping

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!