sustenance

noun

sus·​te·​nance ˈsə-stə-nən(t)s 

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

Synonyms

• aliment
• food
• nourishment
• pabulum

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

Tortoises were the perfect sustenance—and not just because they could be kept alive onboard a ship for a year or more without food or water. —Kevin Gepford, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025

Our religions freely talk of the travesty of people being enriched by the labors of others while leaving them in want of adequate shelter or sustenance. —Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025

And exile is set into motion by trauma, whether that be from a state set on genocide or climate change and the ravaging effects of colonialism that have stripped the land of all sustenance. —Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025

Bears often search for sustenance in people’s yards in early spring and late fall by rummaging through garbage, chicken coops, and bird feeders. —Benjamin Alva Polley, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from sustenir

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

sustenance

noun

sus·​te·​nance ˈsəs-tə-nən(t)s 

1

a

: means of support, maintenance, or existence

b

: nourishment sense 1

2

: the act of sustaining : the state of being sustained

especially : a supplying with the necessities of life

3

: something that gives support, help, or strength