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

While some beaches remain wide and sand is plentiful, other beaches need human help — and when beach nourishment projects don’t happen, impacts become apparent. —Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 18 June 2026

Water the plant deeply and slowly at the base rather than overhead, as this will ensure the roots receive sufficient nourishment and help prevent diseases that can arise from wet foliage. —Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026

So, for creating Hope's Corner to bring nourishment and support to the peninsula's unhoused, this week's CBS News Bay Area ICON Award goes to Bob Lee and Leslie Carmichael. —Sharon Chin, CBS News, 11 June 2026

For even more moisturization, Sun Bum's Cool Down Lotion has vitamin E and cocoa butter in addition to aloe for extra nourishment after a day in the sun. —Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 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