nurturing

[ nur-cher-ing ]

adjective

1. providing food, protection, comfort, or support:

   Creating safe, nurturing places where all children can grow and develop their unique gifts is a responsibility of all adult members of a society.

noun

1. the act of providing food, protection, support, or encouragement:

   There's no substitute for what nurturing can do for a child.

2. the act or process of educating or training:

   We hope to build an ecosystem in this county that encourages incubation, innovation, and nurturing of entrepreneurs.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nurturing¹

First recorded in 1425–75; nurtur(e) ( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective sense; nurtur(e) ( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses

Example Sentences

The new chief added, “We’re here to keep everybody safe in all communities throughout our city, and the way we do that is by nurturing trust.”

From Los Angeles Times

Billy says nurturing the cub back to health made him rediscover the joy he had lost following the recent death of his parents.

From BBC

He struggled in the four Tests Pope captained, but his record under Stokes' nurturing hand is pretty good - an average of 32 with a strike-rate of 55.

From BBC

The focus is very much on finding and nurturing the best young talent in the area, collaborating with local schools and academies.

From BBC

My cooking at home, for my family, is very much about flavor and taste, comforting, nurturing and delicious flavors.

From Salon

Related Words

• sustenance