Synonyms for sustenance
Most common
subsistence nourishment aliment nutriment livelihood sustainment
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Nourishment
nourishment, food, nutriment, subsistence, aliment, nutrition, bread, meat, diet, nurture, provision, grub, alimentation, provender, pabulum, comestible, viands
2. Livelihood
3. Maintenance
maintenance, sustainment, upkeep, sustentation, alimony dated
Definitions
- n. 1
Something that provides support or nourishment.
Forms
- Plural
- sustenances → nourishments, foods, nutriments, subsistences…
Choose the right word
Nourishment and sustenance apply to whatever can be introduced into the system as a means of sustaining life; we say of a convalescent, he is taking nourishment.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- subsistence That is a necessary contribution to its subsistence.
- nourishment Oats are a multipurpose and valuable nourishment.
- livelihood The livelihood of the whole family was in danger.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| sustenance | rising | |
| subsistence | falling | |
| nourishment | rising | |
| aliment | falling | |
| nutriment | falling | |
| livelihood | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- keep1, food1, meat1, diet2, grub1
- 5 letters
- bread1
- 6 letters
- living2, upkeep2, viands
- 7 letters
- support2, nurture2, alimony4, aliment, pabulum
- 9 letters
- nutrition3, provision3, provender, nutriment
- 10 letters
- livelihood3, comestible
- 11 letters
- maintenance3, subsistence3, nourishment3, sustainment
- 12 letters
- alimentation, sustentation
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (diet2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- fondement
- Español
- fundamento
- Català
- fonament