viability
Americannoun
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viabilities
plural
-
ability to live, especially under certain conditions.
The viability of a fetus outside the womb has increased dramatically with the advent of new technologies and procedures.
-
the capacity to operate or be sustained.
The viability of the company was guaranteed by the success of its new product.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of viability
First recorded in 1820–30; vi(able) ( def. ) + -ability ( def. )
Explanation
The noun viability means the quality of being able to happen or having a reasonable chance of success. The viability of holding your party at a restaurant might depend on how many guests they can seat. Viability comes from the Latin root vita, meaning "life." So the noun viability also refers to something's capacity to live and grow. When your dog has a litter of puppies, you can't help wondering about the viability of the tiniest one, but if you feed him with an eyedropper and keep him warm, he might make it.
Vocabulary lists containing viability
The Scoop on Net Neutrality
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The Last Lecture
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Vocabulary from the Ninth Republican Debate, February 13, 2016
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Without a pulpwood market,” Peeples said, “there is a real question about the long-term viability of our forest industry in the U.S. South.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Until then, the size and commercial viability of any mining remain uncertain.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Hicks’ rare public move urging low-polling Democratic candidates, which included every minority candidate of color in the race, to consider their viability sparked widespread controversy during the primary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
At the time the viability of electric vehicles as a large market was a pipedream and the Prius was the world's first mass-produced petrol and electric hybrid.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
But the urgency of the competition with the Soviets created pressure to adopt the quickest, surest way into space, even if it was a little crude, or sacrificed long-term spacefaring viability for short-term earthly victory.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
