sustenance

noun sus·te·nance \ ˈsə-stə-nən(t)s \

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

Examples: sustenance in a Sentence

1 a : means of support, maintenance, or subsistence : living

b : food, provisions; also : nourishment

2 a : the act of sustaining : the state of being sustained

b : a supplying or being supplied with the necessaries of life

3 : something that gives support, endurance, or strength

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Examples of sustenance in a Sentence

Tree bark provides deer with sustenance in periods of drought.
The village depends on the sea for sustenance.
She draws spiritual sustenance from daily church attendance.

Recent Examples of sustenance from the Web

For DeKnight, that love extended to black readers who had never seen their families’ recipes in print—as well as black people for whom kin, fictive or otherwise, is not a source of sustenance.

— hannah giorgis, Bon Appetit, "How Freda DeKnight’s Cookbook, ‘A Date with a Dish’ Inspired Generations of Black Cooks," 19 June 2018
Listen to a live steel band, or grab a snack — food trucks and local restaurants, including The Blueberry Muffin bakery, provide sustenance.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Five things to do around Boston June 11-17," 8 June 2018
Such delicate skeletons are more apt to crumble under a storm surge or the crashing of waves—and in turn, that crumbling can imperil other life on the reef, including algae that grow food for corals and fish that depend on corals for sustenance.

— elizabeth svoboda, Scientific American, "Cores from Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 6 June 2018
Rocky Barker These incredible fish have provided both spiritual sustenance and the central food source for Northwest Indian tribes for millennia.

— rocky barker, idahostatesman, "Chasing the salmon downstream to get an early fishing season | Idaho Statesman," 8 May 2018
The lack of a kitchen has turned into an asset, as Independent fans keep close eyes on which local food truck will provide the necessary sustenance.

— wesley case, baltimoresun.com, "Harford County beer: A tour of four breweries shaping the scene," 21 May 2018
Those with oversized appetites can opt for the 14-inch Wonder Dog (which comes on a loaf of bread), but the regular-sized dogs offer plenty of sustenance.

— kate washington, sacbee, "Sacramento is taking its hot-dog game to the next level | The Sacramento Bee," 18 May 2018
The same fortitude that worked for her on the farm becomes her sustenance away from it.

— peter rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Guardians' beautifully portrays the dynamics of a family farm in WWI France," 18 May 2018
And, at least for those who turn to the outdoors for psychic or spiritual sustenance, each loss is personal, heartbreaking.

— dennis wagner, azcentral, "A refuge and memories go up in smoke as another backcountry paradise burns away," 5 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sustenance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sustenance

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from sustenir

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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sustenance Synonyms

SUSTENANCE Defined for English Language Learners

sustenance

noun

: something (such as food) that keeps someone or something alive
: something that gives support, help, or strength

SUSTENANCE Defined for Kids

sustenance

noun sus·te·nance \ ˈsə-stə-nəns \

1 : ²living 3, subsistence

2 : the act of supplying with the necessities of life

3 : ²support 2

God is our sustenance in time of trouble.

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