sustained

American  

[suh-steynd] / səˈsteɪnd /

adjective

1. kept in process or continued over time; continuous.

   National budgets need to reflect a sustained commitment to children's positive development, strong families, and caring communities.

2. (of an injury, cost, etc.) borne, experienced, or suffered.

   Homeowner’s insurance is not available to cover sustained losses from a radiological accident.

3. upheld or confirmed as valid.

   Nothing smacks more of courtroom defeat than ending a cross-examination on a sustained objection.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of sustain.

Other Word Forms

• nonsustained adjective
• presustained adjective
• sustainedly adverb
• unsustained adjective
• well-sustained adjective

Etymology

Origin of sustained

sustain ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Something that's sustained is held or maintained for a long time, keeping its strength or level consistent and unbroken. A singer's sustained note goes on and on, and a judge's sustained ruling continues to be upheld. The adjective sustained, which describes something that goes on uninterrupted for a long time, comes from the Latin word sustinere, "to hold up, support, or endure." Something sustained can be either good or bad: a sustained conflict is never good, but a sustained peace is something to be fought for.

Example Sentences

But Sheana Yue, senior economist at Oxford Economics, told AFP that "this type of energy-driven cost-push inflation is unlikely to generate sustained reflationary pressures without meaningful demand recovery".

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Responding to the criticisms from Lord Robertson, the government said it is planning "the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War".

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“I assume this responsibility at a moment when the international order, sustained by rules and clear and reasonable principles accepted by all, is undergoing a very profound reconfiguration,” Velasco said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

In fact, shale producers have been reluctant to add new rigs because they aren’t confident the jump in prices will be sustained.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

For so long hope and the heat of battle had sustained Arjun and Thambi.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Related Words

• constant
• continued
• continuous
• uninterrupted