nurture
NER-cher
/ˈnɜːr.tʃər/
The environmental influences, care, and training that shape development, as opposed to genetic inheritance.
Emphasizes the loving care, education, and environmental input that fosters healthy growth.
The story behind the word. Traced back to Latin 'nutrire' (to nourish). Passed through Old French into Middle English. Francis Galton popularized the famous rhyming phrase 'Nature versus Nurture' in 1874.
Word relationships
- foster: Foster means to encourage growth or give care, while nurture emphasizes lifelong holistic care and environmental cultivation.
- nature: Nature represents genetic, biological inheritance, while nurture represents environmental influence.
Commonly confused with
- nourish: Nourish primarily refers to supplying physical food or nutrients, while nurture encompasses emotional, social, and psychological care.
Word family
- nurturing (adjective): Providing care and encouragement.
- nurturer (noun): A person who nurtures.
Collocations
- nature versus nurture
- nurture environment
- nurture growth
- nurturing care
Example sentences
- "Psychologists now agree that development is guided by an intricate interplay between nature and nurture." Nature versus nurture debate
Memory hook
NURTURE feeds your NATURE so you can grow. The environmental warmth that grows the seed.
When not to use
Do not use to describe genetic or innate biological characteristics.
Fun facts
- Shakespeare famously used the pair in 'The Tempest' (1611), where Prospero calls Caliban 'A devil, a born devil, on whose nature / Nurture can never stick'.
Related words
Explore more words
foster, cherish, tenderness, upbringing, incubation, stimulate
Also appears in
- Leadership → Mentorship & Guidance
- Relationships → Support & Advocacy
- Education & Pedagogy → Early Childhood Education
- Education & Pedagogy → Extracurricular & Enrichment
- Education & Pedagogy → Teacher Roles & Mentorship
- Psychology → Child & Adolescent Development
- Home & Domestic Life → Parenting & Childcare
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