sustenance
Americannoun
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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.
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one's means of livelihood.
Buying handmade cloth from weavers ensures their sustenance.
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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.
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the process of sustaining.
Critical journalism has played an invaluable role in the sustenance of democratic governance in Nigeria.
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the state of being sustained.
Forest-clearing technology may be viewed as a useful tool contributing to human sustenance and self-sufficiency.
noun
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means of sustaining health or life; nourishment
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means of maintenance; livelihood
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Also: sustention. the act or process of sustaining or the quality of being sustained
Other Word Forms
- nonsustenance noun
- self-sustenance noun
- sustenanceless adjective
Etymology
Origin of sustenance
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sustenaunce, sustinaunce, from Anglo-French sustenance, from Old French sostenance; sustain, -ance
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pro tip: If you’re driving, leave yourself some snacks that won’t melt and some waters in the car so you have some sustenance if you do get stuck.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Malthus argued that “the power of population is indefinitely greater than the power of the earth to produce sustenance for man.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
Floreana's native species, Chelonoidis niger niger, was driven to extinction in the 1840s by sailors who took thousands from the island for sustenance during long voyages.
From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026
Eagles typically only visit Big Bear to find food in the winter when their normal sources of sustenance have frozen over, according to the Friends of Big Bear Valley.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026
Among the cyclotron labs seeking sustenance, Berkeley remained the most voracious and still the most successful.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
