sustainability
Americannoun
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the ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed.
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Environmental Science. the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance.
The committee is developing sustainability standards for products that use energy.
Etymology
Origin of sustainability
Explanation
"Sustain" means to last over time, so sustainability is the ability of something to last. As a civilization, we are concerned about the sustainability of our planet. Sustainability became a big idea after people began to realize that we were using up our natural resources, so you’re most likely to come across the word when you’re reading about recycling and energy use. If you hear someone talking about sustainability in the context of energy, they’re probably talking about alternatives to oil or coal — both of which will run out in the future. A sustainable source of energy is something that's always there — like water or wind.
Vocabulary lists containing sustainability
Human Geography - Middle School
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Human Geography - High School
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Ecology - Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems - Introductory
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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.
Nathan Platt and Daniel Leaphart from the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability at Iowa contributed to the research.
From Science Daily • Jun. 13, 2026
The new research was led by scientists at Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, which is part of California's Stanford University.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Sustainability is another responsibility that Anadol takes seriously.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
Comparable sales in Honeywell’s Energy and Sustainability Solutions business dropped 7% year over year in the fourth quarter, with “petrochemical catalyst shipments coming in slightly below our expectations,” according to the company.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
Sustainability may be the next trend: Recyclable buckets and compostable bags are on the horizon.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
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.
