sustentation Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the act of sustaining life by food or providing a means of subsistence
    sustainment; upkeep; maintenance; sustenance.
    • they were in want of sustenance
    • fishing was their main sustainment

WordNet

Sus`ten*ta"tion noun
Etymology
L. sustentatio sustenance, maintenance, fr. sustentare to support, maintain, v. intens. fr. sustinere to sustain: cf. F. sustentation. See Sustain.
Definitions
  1. The act of sustaining, or the state of being sustained; preservation from falling; support; sustenance; maintenance.
  2. (Physiol.) The aggregate of the functions by which a living organism is maintained in a normal condition of weight and growth.

Webster 1913