nourishment
Americannoun
-
something that nourishes; food, nutriment, or sustenance.
-
the act of nourishing.
-
the state of being nourished.
-
a process, system, method, etc., of providing or administering nourishment.
a treatise on the nourishment of international trade.
noun
-
the act or state of nourishing
-
a substance that nourishes; food; nutriment
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
Explanation
Nourishment is what you get from the food you eat that helps you grow and stay healthy. There's more nourishment in a bowl of lentils than a bowl of Lucky Charms, no matter how tasty those marshmallows are. Every living thing needs certain nutrients in order to stay alive and in good health and to develop normally. The process of absorbing these nutrients from food and drink is nourishment. Humans and animals aren't the only organisms that need nourishment to thrive — your jade plant gets nourishment from the soil, absorbing necessary nutrients, and the sun, whose energy helps it create glucose. The Latin root of nourishment, nutrire, means "to feed, nurse, or support."
Vocabulary lists containing nourishment
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.
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 • Jan. 9, 2026
Francis always denounced such ploys, saying that Communion was not a reward for perfect behavior but a kind of spiritual nourishment for everyone, including sinners.
From Slate • Oct. 2, 2025
If mealtimes with your child sometimes feel more like negotiations than nourishment, you aren't alone.
From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025
Wellness agency Dive in Well and the Line Hotel L.A. are collaborating for a Day of Wellness, a restorative, community-centered retreat featuring restorative yoga, workshops and nourishment.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2025
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.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
