nourishment

[nur-ish-muhnt, nuhr-]

noun

1. something that nourishes; food, nutriment, or sustenance.

2. the act of nourishing. nourishing.

3. the state of being nourished.

4. a process, system, method, etc., of providing or administering nourishment.

   a treatise on the nourishment of international trade.

nourishment

/ ˈnʌrɪʃmənt /

noun

1. the act or state of nourishing

2. a substance that nourishes; food; nutriment

Other Word Forms

• nonnourishment noun
• overnourishment noun
• renourishment noun
• self-nourishment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nourishment¹

1375–1425; late Middle English norysshement < Middle French norissement. See nourish, -ment

Example Sentences

Saving precious daylight hours could mean the difference between harvesting the food before the first frost or not, and having enough nourishment for the winter or not.

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Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” isn’t a food movie by any stretch, but the moments that lodged themselves in my memory all involved nourishment — offered, stolen, shared, withheld.

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Daily nourishment can be uncomplicated; reverent eating doesn’t need to mean overabundance.

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If mealtimes with your child sometimes feel more like negotiations than nourishment, you aren't alone.

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Food is no longer just nourishment — it’s presentation.

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Related Words

• nutrition 
• sustenance 

When To Use

What does nourishment mean?

Nourishment is something that nourishes—does or provides what’s needed for someone or something to be healthy and to grow and develop.It can also refer to the act of nourishing or the state of being nourished. Nourish and nourishment are most commonly used in relation to food. Healthy food provides nourishment. Parents try to provide nourishment for their children by feeding them healthy foods. Sometimes, food is said to nourish more than the body, as in A warm, home-cooked meal is nourishment for the body and the spirit. However, nourishment can be used in many other contexts, including those that don’t involve food, as in educational nourishment.In all of these senses, nourishment is a somewhat formal and perhaps poetic word—it usually refers to something that serves to sustain rather than just feed.Example: As a mother, it’s my job to provide physical, mental, and emotional nourishment for my kids.