> So we should call car mechanics "mechanical engineers"? By definition, I don't see why not. I suspect the spirit of maintain may be a little more nuanced, bu

> So we should call car mechanics "mechanical engineers"? By definition, I don't see why not. I suspect the spirit of maintain may be a little more nuanced, but words are fluid and if someone wants to interpret it that way, then it is so. > With all due respect to the janitors out there, their job is vital to society but it's not engineering. If by janitor you are thinking of someone who sweeps the floors, I think that is well beyond the spirit of maintain. That, to me, is cleaning. Maintenance of a structure is more like addressing a beam that is cracking. I doubt that is a role that an average janitor deals with, and in many cases will legally require a professional engineer to spec the resolution. But words are fluid, so if you interpret a janitor as someone who maintains a structure, then I guess engineer fits. It really makes no difference either way.