nurturing

[nur-cher-ing]

adjective

1. providing food, protection, comfort, or support.

   Creating safe, nurturing places where all children can grow and develop their unique gifts is a responsibility of all adult members of a society.

noun

1. the act of providing food, protection, support, or encouragement.

   There's no substitute for what nurturing can do for a child.

2. the act or process of educating or training.

   We hope to build an ecosystem in this county that encourages incubation, innovation, and nurturing of entrepreneurs.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nurturing¹

First recorded in 1425–75; nurtur(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective sense; nurtur(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

Example Sentences

He attended Dedza Secondary School, an institution in central Malawi known for nurturing notable politicians, and studied law in the 1960s at the prestigious Yale University in the US.

From BBC

But Irvine, nurturing the grudge, refused to sell the right of way.

From Los Angeles Times

How can you find the balance where you are nurturing yourself and nurturing somebody else?

From Los Angeles Times

“We know that to make children healthy and help them thrive, they need safe, stable and nurturing families, communities, relationships and environments.”

From Los Angeles Times

In another popular series, Yizo Yizo, she played a nurturing mother in a show that captured the raw realities of life in a South African township.

From BBC

Related Words

• sustenance