nourishment

American  

[nur-ish-muhnt, nuhr-] / ˈnɜr ɪʃ mənt, ˈnʌr- /

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.

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nourishment British  

/ ˈnʌrɪʃmənt /

noun

1. the act or state of nourishing

2. a substance that nourishes; food; nutriment

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of nourishment

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

Example Sentences

Although he had no appetite, he ate most of what she brought, knowing he needed nourishment to keep his strength up.

From Literature

And here’s a truth I like to remember on rough days: when it comes to nourishment, you don’t have to make it beautiful.

From Salon

But they also “triggered an explosion of creativity. Music served as an individual and collective strategy of resistance, producing mental and spiritual nourishment no less indispensable than food.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Dance and food used to feel incompatible in my life; now they feel braided together, a quiet symphony of movement and nourishment.

From Salon

Catholics seeking to address 21st-century humanity’s craving for spiritual nourishment will know which model to follow.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• nutrition
• sustenance