sustaining

adjective

sus·​tain·​ing sə-ˈstā-niŋ How to pronounce sustaining (audio)
1
: serving to sustain
2
: aiding in the support of an organization through a special fee
a sustaining member

Examples of sustaining in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This policy is prey to structural destabilization resulting from a combination of two factors: there is an effort gap because the optimal policy always entails discomfort and there is a tendency to lower effort to non-sustaining levels due to the instability of the dynamics. Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2013 During its epic 25-year run, the annual Street Scene outdoor music festival was a homegrown miracle that blessed attendees with a mix of rock, soul, jazz and world-music that was as rich and sustaining as a cup of steaming gumbo. San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2022 Why was your early connection to TV more sustaining? Jessica Pliska, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2022 The myths of the founding embraced by the Tea Party are perhaps the most sustaining force in the imaginary of the contemporary far right. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 11 Aug. 2021 This marked the first time that such area leaders were presented for a sustaining vote in a pre-General Conference setting. David Noyce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Apr. 2021 This marked the first time that such area leaders were introduced for a sustaining vote in a pre-General Conference leadership meeting. Kathy Stephenson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Apr. 2021 What had been most sustaining, a visit to you child, grandchild, or elderly parent, was overnight, declared too dangerous. Time, 16 Mar. 2021 Of the millions of words written about Gloria Vanderbilt, the fewest have been about her art, the most sustaining and constant thing over her long life. al, 30 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sustaining.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sustaining was in 1573

Dictionary Entries Near sustaining

Cite this Entry

“Sustaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sustaining. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

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