nurture

/ˈnɜːɹ.tʃəɹ/noun

The care and support given to help someone or something grow and develop.

Example sentence

“With patience and nurture, the shy student blossomed into a confident speaker.”

Half of the fixed pair 'nature versus nurture', the long debate over inborn traits and upbringing.

Featured as word of the day on January 17, 2026.

Related words

upbringingThe way a child is raised and taught while growing up.adoptTo choose to take a person or thing into a particular relationship as one's own.adoptionThe process of taking another person's child into your family and raising them as your own.fosterTo raise and care for a child, especially one who is not yours by birth, or to help something grow and develop.caregiverSomeone whose role is to take care of another person.babysitterSomeone who looks after children for a short time while their parents or guardians are away.