sustentation

Sustentation is the act or process of sustaining; the provision of nourishment and essential support required to maintain life, growth, or ongoing function. The term comes from Latin sustentare, sustinere, meaning to hold up or uphold.

In biology and nutrition, sustentation refers to the intake of food and fluids and the subsequent metabolic processes that supply energy and building blocks for tissues. More generally, sustentation encompasses subsistence and maintenance—the basic resources and conditions a person or system needs to continue functioning.

In economics and anthropology, sustentation describes the system of obtaining and distributing food, shelter, and other essentials that enable a population to survive and reproduce. It covers strategies such as agriculture, trade, labor, and social safety nets that secure long-term viability of communities.

In religious and philosophical contexts, sustentation can denote the ongoing support of life or being, including notions of divine provision or the moral and practical foundations that sustain a community or individual.

Today, sustentation is used most often in formal or historical discussions; in everyday language, sustenance or subsistence are more common terms.