durable goods

American  

plural noun

1. goods, as household appliances, machinery, or sports equipment, that are not consumed or destroyed in use and can be used for a period of time, usually three or more years.

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durable goods British  

plural noun

1. Also called: durables.  goods, such as most producer goods and some consumer goods, that require infrequent replacement. Compare disposable goods , perishables

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durable goods Cultural  

1. Manufactured products capable of long utility, such as refrigerators and automobiles.

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Etymology

Origin of durable goods

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

durable goods

Demand for U.S. durable goods jumped more than expected in July, according to Commerce Department data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Total orders for durable goods, which comprise goods meant to last three years or more, increased in June by 0.3% to $334.8 billion, compared with a 4% decrease in May.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

New orders for computers and related products jumped 3.1% in June, the government said Monday in its monthly report on durable goods.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Total orders for durable goods – which comprise goods meant to last three years or more – increased in June by 0.3% to $334.8 billion, compared with a 4% decrease in May.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

You have made our book storage four times as costly and unwieldy as it ought to be; but you have done worse than this, you have sold us perishable instead of durable goods.

From The Booklover and His Books by Harry Lyman Koopman

Related Words

• consumer durables
• consumer goods