sustainable

[suh-stey-nuh-buhl]

adjective

1. capable of being supported or upheld, as by having its weight borne from below.

2. pertaining to a system that maintains its own viability by using techniques that allow for continual reuse.

   sustainable agriculture. Aquaculture is a sustainable alternative to overfishing.

3. able to be maintained or kept going, as an action or process.

   a sustainable negotiation between the two countries.

4. able to be confirmed or upheld.

   a sustainable decision.

5. able to be supported as with the basic necessities or sufficient funds.

   a sustainable life.

sustainable

/ səˈsteɪnəbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being sustained

2. (of economic development, energy sources, etc) capable of being maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage

   sustainable development

3. (of economic growth) non-inflationary

Other Word Forms

• sustainability noun
• nonsustainable adjective
• nonsustainability noun
• unsustainable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sustainable¹

sustain + -able

Example Sentences

That type of growth could boost the stock if the market perceives it as sustainable.

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One of the exhibition’s purposes, we were told, was to help us “plan a sustainable future.”

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“The committee remains open to further reductions in the OCR as required for inflation to settle sustainably near the 2.0% target midpoint in the medium term,” it added.

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A simple formula determines how sustainable that debt is.

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But I did wonder: Could a leaf-blower convert still honor her commitment to sustainable gardening?

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Related Words

• continual 
• continuous 
• viable