sustenance
noun
sus·te·nance
ˈsə-stə-nən(t)s 
1
a
: means of support, maintenance, or subsistence : living
b
: food, provisions
also
: nourishment
2
a
: the act of sustaining : the state of being sustained
b
: a supplying or being supplied with the necessaries of life
3
: something that gives support, endurance, or strength
Examples of sustenance in a Sentence
Tree bark provides deer with sustenance in periods of drought.
The village depends on the sea for sustenance.
She draws spiritual sustenance from daily church attendance.
Recent Examples on the Web
For sustenance, there was One Potato Two, The Great Fry Company, Egg Roll and Etc. — and then, a McDonald’s followed closely by a Taco Bell.
—
David Petitti, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Only then does the fungus finish the job, killing the ant and consuming it from the inside for sustenance as the parasite grows.
—New Atlas, 12 Apr. 2025
Child labor and street crime were rampant, with some youngsters turning to theft for sustenance.
—Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025
His insatiable appetite for worlds comes out of an elemental necessity to ingest fertile planets for sustenance and to maintain balance in the cosmos, forever on the prowl in his world ship, the Taa II.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sustenance
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David Petitti, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Only then does the fungus finish the job, killing the ant and consuming it from the inside for sustenance as the parasite grows.
—New Atlas, 12 Apr. 2025
Child labor and street crime were rampant, with some youngsters turning to theft for sustenance.
—Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025
His insatiable appetite for worlds comes out of an elemental necessity to ingest fertile planets for sustenance and to maintain balance in the cosmos, forever on the prowl in his world ship, the Taa II.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sustenance
Cite this Entry
“Sustenance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sustenance. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sustenance
noun
sus·te·nance
ˈsəs-tə-nən(t)s
1
a
: means of support, maintenance, or existence
2
: the act of sustaining : the state of being sustained
especially
: a supplying with the necessities of life
3
: something that gives support, help, or strength
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