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.
Investors who have watched AI stocks boom so far this year are looking to lock in profits, while some worry about the sustainability of AI spending.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
For the most part, those investors say they aren’t particularly concerned about the creditworthiness of the borrowers, or the sustainability of the AI infrastructure build-out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
But he said the financial sustainability of the benefit would "be a concern as we reach these decisions".
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
In their submission to the Treasury Committee both QUB and UU raised concerns about the sustainability of university finances.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
I hardly feel equipped to enter eighth grade, much less become a planetary leader in sustainability.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
