sustenance
Americannoun
-
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.
-
one's means of livelihood.
Buying handmade cloth from weavers ensures their sustenance.
-
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.
-
the process of sustaining.
Critical journalism has played an invaluable role in the sustenance of democratic governance in Nigeria.
-
the state of being sustained.
Forest-clearing technology may be viewed as a useful tool contributing to human sustenance and self-sufficiency.
noun
-
means of sustaining health or life; nourishment
-
means of maintenance; livelihood
-
Also: sustention. the act or process of sustaining or the quality of being sustained
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sustenance
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sustenaunce, sustinaunce, from Anglo-French sustenance, from Old French sostenance; see origin at sustain, -ance
Explanation
Sustenance comes from the word sustain, which means to continue. Sustenance is food or drink that allows you to continue to be alive. For many, prayer is a source of spiritual sustenance. If your chief source of sustenance is candy, you are going to get sick, but you will have a good time while it lasts. In much of the world, rice and beans provide sustenance to human beings. In the US, Native Americans taught Europeans how to grow corn, which turned into a major source of sustenance for their population.
Vocabulary lists containing sustenance
The Hunger Games
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Beowulf: A New Telling
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
And while more than 300 area churches may be providing spiritual sustenance to this town of 58,000 people, there's another institution that supplies it with economic nourishment.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Capable of flying only about the length of a football field, it relied on humans for transport—and sustenance.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
On the remote east side of Mono Lake, he said the animals gobbled down grass, roots and all, depriving certain birds of the worms that live in the vegetation — their sustenance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
This provides an immense source of sustenance for animals, similar to how hydrothermal vents create their own ecosystems on the ocean floor.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
Once they had pitched the tent in the shelter of a small copse of trees and surrounded it with freshly cast defensive enchantments, Harry ventured out under the Invisibility Cloak to find sustenance.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
