sustenance
Americannoun
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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.
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one's means of livelihood.
Buying handmade cloth from weavers ensures their sustenance.
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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.
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the process of sustaining.
Critical journalism has played an invaluable role in the sustenance of democratic governance in Nigeria.
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the state of being sustained.
Forest-clearing technology may be viewed as a useful tool contributing to human sustenance and self-sufficiency.
noun
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means of sustaining health or life; nourishment
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means of maintenance; livelihood
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Also: sustention. the act or process of sustaining or the quality of being sustained
Other Word Forms
- nonsustenance noun
- self-sustenance noun
- sustenanceless adjective
Etymology
Origin of sustenance
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English sustenaunce, sustinaunce, from Anglo-French sustenance, from Old French sostenance; sustain, -ance
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.
In a story built on hubris, violence and scientific ambition, it’s the smallest gestures of sustenance that feel the most human.
From Salon
An early dinner for Spain, but sustenance just enough to fortify before the night carries on.
From Salon
The journey so far — 17 tattoos to date — has provided sustenance and even inspiration.
From Los Angeles Times
Unlike the infamous Lunchables, easily packable lunches don’t have to come at the expense of cost or sustenance.
From Salon
The would-be workers stand in small groups, clutching water bottles, their only source of sustenance for the day, as they listen and hope they will be among the lucky few.
From BBC
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.
