sustenance

[ suhs-tuh-nuhns ]
See synonyms for sustenance on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. means of sustaining or supporting life or health; nourishment, especially food and drink: The small farm provided sustenance for the family of four during tough times.

  2. one's means of livelihood: Buying handmade cloth from weavers ensures their sustenance.

  1. something that sustains or comforts, especially a source of spiritual support: He is strong and peaceful and confident in the love of Jesus Christ, which is his sustenance right now.

  2. the process of sustaining: Critical journalism has played an invaluable role in the sustenance of democratic governance in Nigeria.

  3. the state of being sustained: Forest-clearing technology may be viewed as a useful tool contributing to human sustenance and self-sufficiency.

Origin of sustenance

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sustenaunce, sustinaunce, from Anglo-French sustenance, from Old French sostenance; see origin at sustain, -ance

Other words from sustenance

  • sus·te·nance·less, adjective
  • non·sus·te·nance, noun
  • self-sus·te·nance, noun

Words Nearby sustenance

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sustenance in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sustenance

sustenance

/ (ˈsʌstənəns) /


noun
  1. means of sustaining health or life; nourishment

  2. means of maintenance; livelihood

  1. Also: sustention (səˈstɛnʃən) the act or process of sustaining or the quality of being sustained

Origin of sustenance

1
C13: from Old French sostenance, from sustenir to sustain

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012