English

Verb

sustaining

1. present participle of sustain
   • 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict:

     Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one, while in the case of monk and crusader there must have been a sustaining purpose, and possibly a great abnegation, a leaving of lands and possessions.”

Noun

sustaining ‎(plural sustainings)

1. The process by which something is sustained or upheld.
   • 2012, Alan Ryan, On Politics

     Beginnings are very different from sustainings; the irregular, often violent, and improvised actions of the founder hero must be succeeded by the regular election of leaders according to law.