sustentado

Sustentado is the past participle of the verb sustentar in Spanish and Portuguese, and it functions as an adjective meaning that something has support, backing, or a foundation. Its sense can be physical, financial, or methodological, depending on context. The term derives from Latin sustentare, with the core idea of holding up or supporting.

In Spanish, sustentado is commonly used to describe ideas, arguments, or theories that are backed by evidence: for example, una teoría sustentada por múltiples estudios. It also describes financial or structural support: una familia sustentada por su salario, o una estructura sustentada por pilares. In formal writing, phrases such as pruebas sustentadas o datos sustentados are frequent, signaling that the presented material has external support.

In Portuguese, the usage mirrors the Spanish sense. Conclusões sustentadas por evidências indicate that conclusions are backed by evidence, while um orçamento sustentado por receitas estáveis means a budget supported by stable revenues. The term can also refer to people or entities that receive financial support: uma família sustentada pelo salário dos pais. Because of its formal tone, sustentado is common in academic, legal, and journalistic texts; in some contexts, synonyms like fundamentado or baseado may be chosen to express a well-grounded argument.

See also: sustento (noun meaning livelihood or support), fundamento and fundamentação (foundation and grounding), sustentar (to support) and sustentável (sustainable). While related, sustentado emphasizes external backing or basis rather than the act of providing support itself.