# sustenance

/ˈsəstənəns/ (US) · /sˈʌstənəns/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sustenance
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

the food and drink you need to stay alive and healthy. It is a more formal word than 'food' or 'meals'.

For teachers: the food and drink necessary for life and health. Often used in formal or literary contexts to describe the basic necessities of survival.

## Examples

- In many remote villages, the local community relies on traditional farming methods to provide the daily sustenance for the entire population.
- The explorers faced extreme hardship when their supplies of sustenance were exhausted, forcing them to forage for edible plants and hunt for game to survive the winter.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.