durable goods

American  

plural noun

1. goods, as household appliances, machinery, or sports equipment, that are not consumed or destroyed in use and can be used for a period of time, usually three or more years.

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durable goods British  

plural noun

1. Also called: durables.  goods, such as most producer goods and some consumer goods, that require infrequent replacement. Compare disposable goods , perishables

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durable goods Cultural  

1. Manufactured products capable of long utility, such as refrigerators and automobiles.

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Etymology

Origin of durable goods

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Typically, spending on expensive durable goods — new cars, appliances, laptops and the like — declines when households feel financial stress.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

Shipments of durable goods rose by 0.5%, after rising by 0.8% in March.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Orders for durable goods grew at a strong pace in April, a second consecutive monthly increase, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

For example: April spending on durable goods by high-income households was higher year over year, but negative for low- and middle-income households, according to Bank of America data.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

You have made our book storage four times as costly and unwieldy as it ought to be; but you have done worse than this, you have sold us perishable instead of durable goods.

From The Booklover and His Books by Koopman, Harry Lyman

Related Words

• consumer durables
• consumer goods