sustained

/səˈsteɪnd/

/səˈsteɪnd/

Other forms: sustainedly

Something that's sustained is held or maintained for a long time, keeping its strength or level consistent and unbroken. A singer's sustained note goes on and on, and a judge's sustained ruling continues to be upheld.

The adjective sustained, which describes something that goes on uninterrupted for a long time, comes from the Latin word sustinere, "to hold up, support, or endure." Something sustained can be either good or bad: a sustained conflict is never good, but a sustained peace is something to be fought for.

Definitions of sustained

1. adjective

   maintained at length without interruption or weakening
   “sustained flight”

   synonyms:

   continuous, uninterrupted

   continuing in time or space without interruption
2. adjective

   (of an electric arc) continuous
   synonyms: free burning

   continuous, uninterrupted

   continuing in time or space without interruption