What does "housekeeping" mean?
The chores of maintaining a house as a residence, especially cleaning.
Housekeeping
noun
noun ·3 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The chores of maintaining a house as a residence, especially cleaning.
- Grammar: housekeeping is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: administrative, caretaking, cleaning, cleaning staff.
- Useful contrasts: central, commercial, core.
- Usage evidence: She was doing the housekeeping.
How to use "housekeeping"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "housekeeping" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "housekeeping" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "housekeeping" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "housekeeping" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "housekeeping" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "administrative" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "housekeeping", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The chores of maintaining a house as a residence, especially cleaning. countable, uncountable
"Those who with us would have their own little housekeepings and cooking, have not the means, nor perhaps the taste, for such domestic comfort, and take their victuals at the trattoria, or cook-shop."
- 2 the work of cleaning and running a house wordnet
- 3 The chores of maintaining a house as a residence, especially cleaning.; Those workers of an establishment who maintain a house through cleaning, etc. countable, metonymically, uncountable
- 4 Any general tasks that involve preparation. countable, uncountable
"The computer program does some general housekeeping involving initializing variables and opening files before beginning the main processing."
- 5 Announcements that must be made before a show or event can begin. countable, uncountable
"Thank you all for coming! Just some quick housekeeping before we get underway, the emergency exits are to your left..."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Hospitality; a liberal and hospitable table; a supply of provisions. countable, uncountable
""Care not thou about that," said Joliffe; "but tell me, softly and hastily, what is in the pantry?" "Small housekeeping enough," said Phoebe; "a cold capon and some comfits, and the great standing venison pasty, with plenty of spice — a manchet or two besides, and that is all.""
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"She was doing the housekeeping."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "housekeeping"?
Common synonyms include: administrative, caretaking, cleaning, cleaning staff, cleanups, copyediting.
How do you use "housekeeping" in a sentence?
She was doing the housekeeping.
Etymology
From house + keeping.