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

Sunlight is crucial: The chlorophyll that gives most asparagus its green color converts the sun’s energy into sustenance. —Joe Yonan, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024

Hop aboard and snuggle up in a plaid blanket for an outing to a campsite, where the ranch provides cold-weather sustenance like hot chocolate. —Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024

An international relief organization that provides sustenance to both victims and first responders at humanitarian disasters around the world, the group was thrust unwillingly into a tragic spotlight Monday when seven of its aid workers operating in Gaza were killed by an Israeli airstrike. —Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024

For babies who are breastfed, their first source of sustenance is filled with proteins, sugars, hormones, vitamins, and minerals — just the right amount of nutrients for an infant. —Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 29 Mar. 2024

Leaders who model this behavior not only provide emotional sustenance for themselves. —John Baldoni, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Have Brunch in Islamorada After all the snorkeling, hiking, and swimming, stop into local favorites Mangrove Mike's Cafe or the Beach Cafe at Morada Bay for sustenance. —Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2024

In a December 2023 email to federal officials, a lawyer wrote that infants in the holding areas had begun vomiting because of severe dehydration, and that some children had been given one granola bar for sustenance per day. —Emily Baumgaertner, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024

Trailers packed with hay, feed and other supplies have answered the urgent need for vital sustenance as the wildfires consumed the cattle's primary food source. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024

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