Nurturing means helping someone or something grow and develop by giving care, attention, and support. When parents are nurturing, they provide their children with food, love, encouragement, and guidance. When a teacher nurtures a student's talent for writing, she helps that talent flourish by offering feedback, suggesting books to read, and creating opportunities to practice.

Nurturing goes beyond just physical needs. A nurturing environment is one where people feel safe to try new things, make mistakes, and learn. A coach might nurture an athlete's confidence by celebrating small improvements. A gardener nurtures seedlings by protecting them from harsh weather until they're strong enough to survive on their own.

You can nurture all sorts of things: friendships, ideas, skills, even communities. When you nurture a friendship, you invest time and care in making it stronger. Scientists might nurture a hypothesis by carefully testing it. The key element is patience and attention: nurturing takes time and can't be rushed. You can't force a plant to grow faster by pulling on it, and you can't nurture someone by being impatient or critical. Genuine nurturing creates the conditions for healthy, natural growth.