nurture

American  

[nur-cher] / ˈnɜr tʃər /

verb (used with object)

nurtured, nurturing

1. to feed and protect.

   to nurture one's offspring.

2. to support and encourage, as during the period of training or development; foster.

   to nurture promising musicians.

3. to bring up; train; educate.

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noun

1. rearing, upbringing, training, education, or the like.

2. development.

   the nurture of young artists.

3. something that nourishes; nourishment; food.

nurture British  

/ ˈnɜːtʃə /

noun

1. the act or process of promoting the development, etc, of a child

2. something that nourishes

3. biology the environmental factors that partly determine the structure of an organism See also nature

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verb

1. to feed or support

2. to educate or train

Related Words

See nurse.

Other Word Forms

• nurturable
  adjective
• nurtureless
  adjective
• nurturer
  noun
• unnurtured
  adjective
• well-nurtured
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of nurture

First recorded in 1300–50; (noun) Middle English norture, from Middle French, variant of nourriture, from Late Latin nūtrītūra “a nourishing,” equivalent to Latin nūtrīt(us) (past participle of nūtrīre “to feed”) + -ūra noun suffix; see nourish, -ure; (verb) derivative of the noun

Explanation

If you plant a seed, water it daily and give it lots of light, you nurture it until it is ready to be transplanted outside. When you nurture a person or thing, you care for it and help it to grow. After a fight with your friend, you may have to nurture the relationship a little until you're close again. Use the phrase "nature versus nurture" to help you remember the word. Nature is a baby just out of the womb. Nurture is how that baby is raised or taken care of. Once the child is older, you may wonder if its love of reading is nature or nurture — is it natural born or is it because you read to the baby every night.

Example Sentences

A major twin study is shedding new light on the long running debate over nature versus nurture, suggesting that genetics may play a far larger role in future success than many people realize.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

People contemplating leaving the workforce should consider questions like: What hobbies or interests do they want to nurture?

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

It is the author’s belief that big old trees nurture and protect younger ones.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The festival is designed to nurture not just comedians but the surrounding community.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

For some eagle pairs, that same nest might be used twenty times or more to lay, hatch, and nurture their offspring.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers