sustain

Academic Word List, sublist 5.

About 8.56 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. verb To maintain, or keep in existence.

   The professor had trouble sustaining students’ interest until the end of her lectures.

2. verb To provide for or nourish.

   provisions to sustain an army

3. verb To encourage or sanction (something). (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)
4. verb To experience or suffer (an injury, etc.).

   The building sustained major damage in the earthquake.

5. verb To confirm, prove, or corroborate; to uphold.

   to sustain a charge, an accusation, or a proposition

6. verb To allow, accept, or admit (e.g. an objection or motion) as valid.
7. verb To keep from falling; to bear; to uphold; to support.

   A foundation sustains the superstructure; an animal sustains a load; a rope sustains a weight.

8. verb To aid, comfort, or relieve; to vindicate.

Similar words

support maintain keep up keep get hold up prolong confirm hold have

Often followed by

the a it their and them an his life

Word family

sustainability sustainable sustained sustainedly sustainer sustainers sustaining sustains sustenance