nourishment

noun

nour·​ish·​ment ˈnər-ish-mənt 

ˈnə-rish-

1

a

: food, nutriment

b

: sustenance sense 3

books for intellectual nourishment

2

: the act of nourishing : the state of being nourished

Synonyms of nourishment

• food
• sustenance

Examples of nourishment in a Sentence

These children are suffering because they lack proper nourishment.

Soil provides nourishment to plants.

Recent Examples on the Web

Born in Mexico to a left-wing Catalan family, Adela’s spiritual and intellectual formation came from her grandparents, while her emotional nourishment was the realm of the housekeeper/nanny Paula (Teresita Sánchez). — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

Horses didn’t survive 56 million years by adding more tasks to their days or overworking to get nourishment, protection, or social connections. — Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Researchers said beach nourishment remains an important way to protect coastlines from erosion, but the findings highlight the need to better understand how those projects affect marine life. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026

Breast milk and infant formula Passengers traveling with infants have enough to worry about on their flights—and being able to provide the little ones with the proper nourishment should not be one of those concerns. — Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for nourishment

• undernourishment

Kids Definition

nourishment

noun

nour·​ish·​ment ˈnər-ish-mənt 

ˈnə-rish-

1

: something that nourishes : food, nutriment

2

: the act of nourishing : the state of being nourished

Medical Definition

nourishment

noun

nour·​ish·​ment ˈnər-ish-mənt, ˈnə-rish- 

1

: food sense 1, nutriment

2

: the act of nourishing or the state of being nourished