nourishment

noun

nour·​ish·​ment ˈnər-ish-mənt How to pronounce nourishment (audio)
ˈnə-rish-
Synonyms of nourishment
1
a
: food, nutriment
b
: sustenance sense 3
books for intellectual nourishment
2
: the act of nourishing : the state of being nourished

Synonyms of nourishment

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Examples of nourishment in a Sentence

These children are suffering because they lack proper nourishment. Soil provides nourishment to plants.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The nourishment is, of course, physical with the delicious, simple food — but the experience is so much more than that. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 Next is nourishment, which is about making sure that the space created by the loss of your person isn’t only filled with pain. — Naomi Barr, Flow Space, 22 Oct. 2026 The hair oil was the key to adding shine, nourishment, and taming frizz. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 19 Oct. 2026 Beloved returns as an unquenchable force demanding more and more nourishment and attention from Sethe. — Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nourishment

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of nourishment was in the 15th century

Rhymes for nourishment

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Browse Nearby Words

nourishing
nourishment
nouriture
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Cite this Entry

“Nourishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nourishment. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

nourishment

noun
nour·​ish·​ment ˈnər-ish-mənt How to pronounce nourishment (audio)
ˈnə-rish-
1
: something that nourishes : food, nutriment
2
: the act of nourishing : the state of being nourished

Medical Definition

nourishment

noun
nour·​ish·​ment ˈnər-ish-mənt, ˈnə-rish- How to pronounce nourishment (audio)
1
: food sense 1, nutriment
2
: the act of nourishing or the state of being nourished
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