SUSTENTATION

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin ~-, sustentatio act of holding up, from sustentare to hold up, frequentative of sustinēre to sustain Date: 14th century the act of sustaining ; the state of being sustained: as, maintenance , upkeep , preservation, conservation , maintenance of life, growth, or morale, provision with sustenance, something that sustains ; support , sustentative adjective