soutenance

French

Etymology

From soutenir +‎ -ance, cf. the present participle soutenant. Present in Old French as sustenance. Cf. also Late and Medieval Latin sustinentia (“support; endurance”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑ̃s

Noun

soutenance f (plural soutenances)

1. viva voce (for a doctorate)

Further reading

• “soutenance”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.