sustenance

noun

sus·te·nance | \ ˈsə-stə-nən(t)s

Definition of sustenance

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

b : food, provisions also : nourishment

2a : 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

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about sustenance

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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 on the Web

Bring beauty into your home life through decoration and sustenance. — Randon Rosenbohm, Allure, "What May’s Aquarius Horoscope Predictions Mean for You," 30 Apr. 2019 Similar organizations—including Food Not Bombs and the Pots & Pans Kitchen Collective—have brought sustenance to the Women’s March, Black Lives Matter movements, and more. — Sarah Baird, Glamour, "Food on the Front Lines: Meet the People Fueling the Resistance," 7 Sep. 2018 As green house gas emissions warm the globe and prompt the melting of sea ice, polar bears are forced to continue their pursuit of sustenance on land. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "'Mass Invasion' of Polar Bears Descends on Remote Russian Village in Search of Food," 11 Feb. 2019 For most of us: 1,000 calories per day is survival, not sustenance. — Jaclyn London, Ms, Rd, Cdn, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need to Know About the Military Diet, According to a Nutritionist," 11 Dec. 2018 But, as sharp and sensitive about feelings as flavors, Bir also knows that foraging touches something more than practicality or frugality or even sustenance. — Rebekah Denn, The Seattle Times, "Sara Bir offers practical guidelines, and delicious recipes, for foraged fruit," 5 July 2018 The lack of food would drive up prices for what sustenance remains. — Alex Ward, Vox, "This is exactly how a nuclear war would kill you," 19 Oct. 2018 These organisms necessarily require little sustenance to generate energy. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Vast Ecosystem of Underground Organisms Holds More Life Than Earth's Oceans," 11 Dec. 2018 The first part of the Avengers: Endgame trailer finds Iron Man drifting in space and running out of sustenance and oxygen, sort of like The Martian if the Martian were a sad and beat-up Tony Stark. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "How the Avengers: Endgame trailer hints that Captain Marvel will save the day (and Iron Man)," 8 Dec. 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.