upkeep

[ uhp-keep ]

noun

1. the process or activity of providing an establishment, machine, person, etc., with necessary or proper maintenance, repairs, support, or the like:

   The machine's faulty operation shows that no one has attended to its upkeep.

2. the total sum of the costs or expenses for this.

upkeep

/ ˈʌpˌkiːp /

noun

1. the act or process of keeping something in good repair, esp over a long period; maintenance
2. the cost of maintenance

Word History and Origins

Origin of upkeep¹

First recorded in 1880–85; up- + keep

Example Sentences

In an interview at the Economic Club of Chicago in October, Trump called South Korea a “money machine“ that isn’t paying enough for the upkeep of U.S. troops stationed within its borders.

From Los Angeles Times

But it would mean that he would have to find his own way of paying the upkeep and security of Royal Lodge, a 19th Century listed building in Windsor.

From BBC

But in the late 1980s, Ports O’ Call Village faded and grew shabby, a victim of changing tastes in entertainment and dwindling investment in its upkeep and improvement.

From Los Angeles Times

Unlike Harris, who reaffirmed Washington’s “extended deterrence commitment” to Seoul after visiting the Korean Demilitarized Zone in 2022, Trump has advocated ending joint military drills with South Korea — and hinted he might withdraw U.S. troops from the peninsula if Seoul doesn’t pay more for their upkeep.

From Los Angeles Times

It is thought that clarifying the borders will help both countries determine which is responsible for the upkeep of specific natural areas.

From BBC

Related Words

• conservation
• outlay
• preservation
• repair