From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsustenancesus‧te‧nance /ˈsʌstənəns/ AWL noun [uncountable] formal 1 DFDFNfood that people or animals need in order to live Without sustenance, the animals will soon die. Potatoes were their only means of sustenance.2 CONTINUE/NOT STOPwhen something is made to continue Elections are necessary for the sustenance of democracy.
Examples from the Corpus
sustenance• But the kitchen was empty save for Boris, and there were no signs of any sustenance at all.• Many cultures bias their legacies, parental care, sustenance, and favoritism toward sons at the expense of daughters.• They have a well of real belief from which to draw sustenance when times are tough.• We need sustenance and a viable habitat, but we also need social cohesion and connection of all sorts.• The buffalo was the Plains Indians' main source of sustenance.• Each had an individual story that complemented the other, creating ecological beauty and providing spiritual as well as physical sustenance.• What we lacked in physical sustenance, we made up for in spirit.• That remains devoted to status, sustenance of our image, and acceptance as the great reward for all our efforts!Origin sustenance (1200-1300) Old French sustenir; → SUSTAIN 