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

Investors hoping for more sustained gains might have to wait until the company reports earnings on May 20.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

“However, the sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices in recent weeks ultimately has left us with no alternative but to pursue an orderly wind-down of the Company.”

From Slate • May 5, 2026

The cryptocurrency’s sustained rise above the key $80,000 level encourages buyers despite escalating tensions in the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

My Broadway theatergoing had to be selective this year for logistical reasons, but these are the performers and productions that sustained me through the fitful season.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Now a page here and there, in the golden afternoon light, sustained him.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Related Words

• constant
• continued
• continuous
• uninterrupted