durability
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Durability: Kurita, Ecolab, and Xylem look the most bulletproof.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 9, 2025
Durability is a major advantage of the new system.
From Science Daily • Nov. 15, 2025
Durability and endurance are skills to be learned and maintained.
From Salon • Feb. 28, 2025
Primark, which has faced repeated criticism for its "fast fashion" approach, said it hoped its new Durability Framework would help people get more wear from their purchases.
From BBC • Nov. 4, 2024
Durability of the national sympathy, 394-8; contradictions in character and career, 398-400.
From Sir Walter Ralegh A Biography by Stebbing, W. (William)
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.
