sustained
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
(of an injury, cost, etc.) borne, experienced, or suffered.
Homeowner’s insurance is not available to cover sustained losses from a radiological accident.
-
upheld or confirmed as valid.
Nothing smacks more of courtroom defeat than ending a cross-examination on a sustained objection.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of sustained
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.
Vocabulary lists containing sustained
President Biden's Inaugural Speech (January 2021)
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The Martian
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This Week In Words: August 22–28, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sustained lifestyle changes, when supported properly, can still produce major health gains.
From Science Daily • May 19, 2026
Sustained jeopardy for this all-conquering England, more rivals and less certainty, would boost those figures once more.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
Sustained stock declines have sparked a debate about the merits of Microsoft’s diversified business model.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
"Sustained increases in energy prices could increase risks for global trade, with potential spillovers for food security and cost pressures on consumers and businesses," warned WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
"Sustained winds over one hundred kph now," she said.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
