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Added 9 October 2026

sustenance

/ˈsʌs.tə.nəns/ noun

In Latin: pābulum Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sustenance at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A source of materials to nourish the body.
The financial means whereby one lives.
each child was expected to pay for their keep
The act of sustaining life by food or providing a means of subsistence.
they were in want of sustenance

Origin

From Middle English sustenaunce, from Old French sustenance, from sustenir with the suffix -ance, from Vulgar Latin *sustenire, from Latin sustinere. Compare also Late Latin sustinentia. Equivalent to sustain + -ance.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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