Definition of sustentationnext
1
as in maintenance
the act or activity of keeping something in an existing and usually satisfactory condition argues that a new toll is needed to pay for the long-term sustentation of the city's bridges

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2
as in preservation
the careful maintaining and protection of something valuable especially in its natural or original state the all-important sustentation of Mount Vernon, Monticello, and other national treasures

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for sustentation
Noun
  • Many of these control panels are connected to the internet to allow maintenance companies to remotely access them.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Supermarket cold aisles are typically run by control panels that manage an entire store’s fridges and freezers and can be accessed over the internet, which lets maintenance companies adjust them from anywhere.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Targeting equipment essential to the preservation of fresh products and to the food supply of the French people is of extreme gravity and is unprecedented.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • If cash preservation is existential, every interesting experiment cannot remain sacred.
    — Alla Adam, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • There are solutions for age verification that are both accurate and privacy preserving.
    — Annie Chestnut Tutor, Boston Herald, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Hunting license fees and federal excise taxes on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment help fund habitat restoration, wildlife research and conservation programs.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The land the tribe inhabited before being evicted is now divided among ranchers, government agencies and a conservation nonprofit.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Sustentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sustentation. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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