sustentar

Senses

1. 1.

   to support, to sustain

   to provide financial or material support for someone or something

2. 2.

   to uphold, to maintain

   to defend or maintain a position, argument, or belief

3. 3.

   to hold up, to bear

   to physically support the weight of something

4. 4.

   to sustain, to nourish

   to keep someone or something alive or in existence

Examples

• "Ele trabalha muito para sustentar a família."

  He works hard to support his family.

• "O advogado sustentou que seu cliente era inocente."

  The lawyer maintained that his client was innocent.

• "Essas colunas sustentam todo o peso do edifício."

  These columns support the entire weight of the building.

Usage

Common in both formal and informal contexts. Frequently used with "família" (family) in the financial support sense. The reflexive form "sustentar-se" means "to support oneself" or "to sustain oneself." Often collocates with "argumento" (argument), "opinião" (opinion), and "posição" (position) in formal discourse.