sustentation

English

Etymology

First attested in 1382: from the (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French sustentacion, from the (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin sustentātio, from sustentō; compare the Italian sostentazione, the Occitan sustentacion, the Portuguese sustentação, and the Spanish sustentación.

Noun

sustentation (countable and uncountable, plural sustentations)

1. The act or the result of sustaining; sustainment.
2. The aggregate of the functions by which a living organism is maintained in a normal condition of weight and growth.
3. (Christianity) The scheme by which the ministers of the Free Church of Scotland are supported by voluntary contributions not local or congregational, but with a national altruism or solidarity paid into a great central fund, out of which equal stipends are paid to all alike.