durability
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of durability
First recorded in 1350–1400; Latin dūrābili(s) + -tās noun suffix; see durable ( def. ), -ty 2 ( def. )
Explanation
Durability is when something lasts a long time. The durability of your favorite pair of hiking boots keeps them from wearing out even when you've walked many miles in them. Use the noun durability to describe the quality of permanence or strength that keeps something working or holds it together. Your parents' thirty year marriage has durability, and your sturdy old car that keeps on running mile after mile also has durability. The Latin root word, durabilis, means "lasting or permanent," and comes from durare, "to last or harden."
Vocabulary lists containing durability
This Week in Words: January 27 - February 2, 2018
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"Ad Power," "Without Commercials," and "What's Wrong with Advertising"
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"The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller, List 5
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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.
"This trial features an extended follow-up period to track long-term patient outcomes and establish the true durability of the treatment," Dr. Tandon said.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
"Its ability to develop increasingly competitive products at lower costs is challenging established assumptions around market share, pricing power and the durability of margins."
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Adding grog improves the durability of a vessel and helps it tolerate the intense heat of firing and cooking.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
He added that Micron’s outlook for the next quarter “will tell us more about the durability of earnings” than its upcoming report will.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
It is of course the abundance and extreme durability of atoms that makes them so useful, and the tininess that makes them so hard to detect and understand.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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