What is the Latin word for sustain?

The usual Latin words for “sustain” are sustineō, sustentō, servō; also cōnservō, tueor, alō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“sustain” in Latin

sustineōto hold up or upright, uphold, support, sustain; to keep up, bear up, tolerate; to hold or keep back or in, stay, check,sustentōto uphold, support, prop or sustain, maintain; to maintain or preserve by food, money, or other means; to keep in check,servōto maintain, keep; to protect, save, keep, guard, safeguard, watch over; to give heed to, pay attention to; watch, obser cōnservōto conserve, to preserve, to save, to guard, to protect; to maintain (i.e., uphold)tueorto look or gaze at, behold, watch, view; to care for, guard, defend, protect, support, compensate or make up for; to uph alōto feed, to nourish, to nurture; to cultivate, to raise, to rear, etc. (as a child, an animal, etc.); to cause (a thing)onusburden, load; cargo, freight; tax, tax burden causacause, reason; case, claim, contention; cause, judicial process, lawsuit malusunpleasant, distressing, painful, nasty, bad; unpleasant to the senses, sight, smell, taste, touch; bad, evil, wicked, m laborwork; labor, toil, exertion; hardship, trouble, fatigue, suffering, drudgery, distress

The English word sustain itself goes back to Latin teneō, through sustineō.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

sustain

sustinere (in nearly all the meanings of the English word, which is derived from it; onus, causam, se, personam civitatis, aliquem or necessitatem alicujus opibus suis, mala, labores; also, impetnm hostis, Caes.): sustentare (to hold upright): servare: conservare (to keep, preserve; e.g., rem familiarem conservare): tueri (to maintain, keep up). (The words are found in this connection and order.) tueri et conservari: alere (by nourishment; then, also, general term, to support, maintain). (The words are found in this connection and order.) alere et sustentare: sustentare et alere; and (in the sense of propping up, supporting) fulcire et sustinere. To sustain one’s self, se servare; se conservare; salutem suam tueri; ali, sustineri, se sustentare; by anything, aliqua re (to prolong one’s life by, etc.): to sustain anybody’s life, aliquem (integrum) conservare; alicui saluti esse; salutis auctorem esse alicui (general term, to save one’s life); alicui sanitatem restituere (to restore one’s life, as a physician): to sustain one’s credit, fidem suam tueri; expedire: to sustain the part or character of anybody, agere aliquem or pro aliquo (☞ se agere aliquem is incorrect; Vid: Benecke, Justin., 1, 6, 16); gerere, sustinere alicujus personam (☞ agere alicujus personam is incorrect); vicem alicujus implere (to take the place of anybody).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for sustain?: The usual Latin words for “sustain” are sustineō, sustentō, servō; also cōnservō, tueor, alō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.