- a less common word for sustenance
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
sus•ten•ta•tion
(sus′tən tā′shən),USA pronunciation n.
sus′ten•ta′tion•al, adj.
sus•ten•ta•tive
(sus′tən tā′tiv, sə sten′tə tiv),USA pronunciation adj.
- maintenance in being or activity; the sustaining of life through vital processes.
- provision with means or funds for upkeep.
- means of sustaining life;
sustenance.
- Latin sustentātiōn- (stem of sustentātiō) an upholding, equivalent. to sustentāt(us) (past participle of sustentāre, frequentative of sustinēre to sustain) + -iōn- -ion
- Middle English 1350–1400
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
sustentation /ˌsʌstɛnˈteɪʃən/ n
'sustentation' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):