sustentar

to sustain

verb soos-ten-TAHR Rare

Origin: Latin sustentare (to hold up, support).

Also means

to support

Usage Note

Sustentar overlaps with sostener but leans toward maintaining something over time — an argument, a family, or a system. Sustentar una tesis means to defend a thesis (literally 'to hold it up'), a usage common in academic Spanish. The noun form sustento ('livelihood', 'sustenance') appears frequently in everyday speech even when the verb itself is formal.

Examples

"Trabaja duro para sustentar a su familia."

Natural Translation

He works hard to support his family.

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