sustenance

[suhs-tuh-nuhns]

noun

1. 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.

2. one's means of livelihood.

   Buying handmade cloth from weavers ensures their sustenance.

3. 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.

4. the process of sustaining.

   Critical journalism has played an invaluable role in the sustenance of democratic governance in Nigeria.

5. the state of being sustained.

   Forest-clearing technology may be viewed as a useful tool contributing to human sustenance and self-sufficiency.

sustenance

/ ˈsʌstənəns /

noun

1. means of sustaining health or life; nourishment

2. means of maintenance; livelihood

3. Also: sustention. the act or process of sustaining or the quality of being sustained

Other Word Forms

• sustenanceless adjective
• nonsustenance noun
• self-sustenance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sustenance¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sustenaunce, sustinaunce, from Anglo-French sustenance, from Old French sostenance; sustain, -ance

Word History and Origins

Origin of sustenance¹

C13: from Old French sostenance, from sustenir to _sustain

Example Sentences

It often took all day to create every meal from scratch, laboring in a hot kitchen to cook enough sustenance to support dawn- to-dusk physical labor.

Read more on Literature

In a story built on hubris, violence and scientific ambition, it’s the smallest gestures of sustenance that feel the most human.

Read more on Salon

An early dinner for Spain, but sustenance just enough to fortify before the night carries on.

Read more on Salon

The journey so far — 17 tattoos to date — has provided sustenance and even inspiration.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Unlike the infamous Lunchables, easily packable lunches don’t have to come at the expense of cost or sustenance.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• livelihood 
• nourishment 
• nutrition 
• subsistence