sustentare

Sustentare is a Latin verb meaning to sustain, support, or uphold; it can refer to providing nourishment, maintaining a structure or system, or upholding a argument or claim. The sense covers both physical support and figurative backing, such as financial or moral support.

In Latin, sustenta are formed with the meaning of holding up from underneath, and the verb is used in a variety of contexts—from keeping a building or a household going to supporting a proposition in debate. It belongs to the Latin family of words associated with sustenance and maintenance, and it is related to other forms such as sustentātiō and suste ntāre in grammar and derivation.

The Latin verb is commonly cited with principal parts sustentō, sustentāre, sustentāvī, sustentātum, indicating its first-conjugation pattern. This allows a range of forms to express tense, mood, voice, and aspect, including the present, imperfect, perfect, and supine-related participles. In classical texts, susten tārē and related constructions appear in both literal and metaphorical sustaining senses.

In the Romance languages, sustentar-like verbs survive with related meanings. Spanish sustentar and Portuguese sustentar commonly mean to sustain or support, including sustenance and defense of a claim. Beyond Latin, the concept remains central in discussions of economics, medicine, philosophy, and rhetoric when referring to the provision of support, nourishment, or justification.

Example (Latin): Pecunia sustentat familiam. Literally, "Money sustains the family." The term is primarily of historical or academic interest in modern usage, where more common equivalents in many languages have evolved.