nurture

1 of 2

noun

nur·​ture ˈnər-chər 

1

: training, upbringing

With proper focus during early nurture, one can grow into a secure being …

—Ella Pearson Mitchell

2

: something that nourishes : food

… fed him well, and nourished himself, and took nurture for the road …

—R. D. Blackmore

3

: the sum of the environmental factors influencing the behavior and traits expressed by an organism

Is our character affected more by nature or by nurture?

nurture

2 of 2

verb

nurtured; nurturing ˈnər-ch(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to supply with nourishment

care for and nurture a baby

2

: educate

… nurture kids in clean, colorful rooms with the latest books and learning gadgets.

—Sue Shellenbarger

3

: to further the development of : foster

… nurture his intellectual inclinations.

—Ray Olson

nurture a friendship

nurturer

ˈnər-chər-ər 

noun

Did you know?

Which affects a person’s development more, nurture or nature? We can’t answer that question—it’s far outside the lexicographer’s purview—but we can tell you that when nurture was first adopted into the English language in the 14th century it referred, as it does in that question, to training or upbringing, i.e. to the care and attention given to someone or something that is growing or developing. It wasn’t until a century later that the verb nurture settled into the language, first with meanings having to do with feeding and caring for young—meanings nourish had been, er, nurturing for a hundred years. The words come by their overlapping meanings etymologically: both come from the Latin verb nutrire, meaning “to suckle” or “to nourish” (as do the words nutrient, nutritious, nutriment, and nutrition). The figurative use of nurture, meaning “to further the development of,” didn’t arise until the mid-18th century. Mary Wollstonecraft applied it in her 1792 book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, writing, “Public spirit must be nurtured by private virtue.”

Synonyms

Verb

• advance
• cultivate
• encourage
• forward
• foster
• further
• incubate
• nourish
• nurse
• promote

Examples of nurture in a Sentence

Noun

Members of the family helped in the nurture of the baby.

Verb

Teachers should nurture their students' creativity.

a professor who nurtures any student who shows true interest in history

The study looks at the ways parents nurture their children.

You have to carefully nurture the vines if you want them to produce good grapes.

She nurtured a secret ambition to be a singer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Female leaders play a colossal role in shaping a workforce that supports gender equality and nurtures and empowers women. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

Because nurture does matter, here are some broad strokes. —Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English norture, nurture, from Anglo-French nureture, from Late Latin nutritura act of nursing, from Latin nutritus, past participle of nutrire to suckle, nourish — more at nourish

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

nurture

1 of 2 noun

nur·​ture ˈnər-chər 

1

: training sense 1, upbringing

2

: something that nourishes : food

nurture

2 of 2 verb

nurtured; nurturing ˈnərch-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to supply with nourishment

2

: educate sense 2

3

: to further the development of : foster