Nurture Meaning
/ˈnɜːɹ.t͡ʃəɹ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe act of nourishing or nursing; tender care
nounThat which nourishes; food; diet.
Sentence Examples
Let's use our experiences to nurture the sense needed to make marital relations go well.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
CEFR Practice Quiz
A good parent will always ____ their child's talents and dreams to help them succeed.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Teachers aim to ____ both the academic and creative talents of their students.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English norture, noriture, from Old French norriture, norreture, from Late Latin nutritura (“nourishment”), from Latin nutrire (“to nourish”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Other great houses there bee of the English in Ireland, which thorough licentious conversing with the Irish, or marrying, or fostering with them, or lacke of meete nurture, or other such unhappy occasions, have degendred from their auncient dignities, and are now growne as Irish, as O-hanlans breech, as the proverbe there is."
— 1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC, page 110:
"A Deuill, a borne-Deuill, on whoſe nature / Nurture can neuer ſticke :"
— 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 15:
"[…]a man neither by nature nor by nurture wiſe."
— 1649, J[ohn] Milton, “Upon His Retirement from ’’Westminster’’”, in ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC, page 59:
"The problem is aggravated by the fact that much of the gay sub-culture is not conducive to the nurture of the radical ego integrity of which Erikson speaks."
— 1976 February 7, Philip Gambone, “Coming Out: The Gay Identity Process”, in Gay Community News, volume 3, number 32, page 4:
"Look where he would, some heap of ruins afforded him rich promise of a working off; the whole town appeared to have been ploughed, and sown, and nurtured by most genial weather; and a goodly harvest was at hand."
— 1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge. Chapter 70.”, in Master Humphrey’s Clock, volume III, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 344:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
A good parent will always ____ their child's talents and dreams to help them succeed.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Teachers aim to ____ both the academic and creative talents of their students.