sustentarse
verbCEFR B2
What does “sustentarse” mean in English?
to be sustained, to be underpinned
to be sustained, to be underpinned (to be based on or supported by a principle, value, or resource; sustentarse en datos)
Example sentences
Un modelo económico que no se sustenta en criterios de equidad y sostenibilidad está condenado a generar conflictos a largo plazo.
An economic model that does not rest on criteria of equity and sustainability is doomed to generate conflicts in the long term.
La teoría se sustenta sobre un conjunto de evidencias empíricas que han sido replicadas en múltiples contextos culturales.
The theory is underpinned by a body of empirical evidence that has been replicated across multiple cultural contexts.
How to use it
Sustentarse (reflexive verb, from sustentar — to sustain, to support) means 'to be sustained', 'to rest on', or 'to be underpinned by' — to derive its foundation or support from a particular basis. It is a formal intellectual verb, common in academic writing, policy analysis, and philosophical argument: el modelo se sustenta en, la teoría se sustenta sobre, el sistema se sustenta en premisas dudosas. Key prepositions: sustentarse en and sustentarse sobre (both mean 'to rest on / be underpinned by'). Contrast with apoyarse en (to rest on — more physical, also intellectual but slightly less formal) and basarse en (to be based on — very common, less elevated than sustentarse).
Common mistake
Sustentarse en (formal, intellectual — rests on as a foundation) vs basarse en (general, very common — based on) vs apoyarse en (to lean on, rest on — slightly more physical or less formal). For essays, all three are grammatical, but sustentarse in is the most academic.