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

Typically, spending on expensive durable goods — new cars, appliances, laptops and the like — declines when households feel financial stress.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

Shipments of durable goods rose by 0.5%, after rising by 0.8% in March.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

The same day, the Census Bureau will release the durable goods report as well as new-home sales data.

From Barron's • May 24, 2026

Alongside the PCE data on Thursday will be the second estimate of first-quarter U.S. gross domestic product, durable goods orders for April, new homes sales for April, and weekly jobless claims.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The extraordinary demand for other durable goods, for the replenishment of inventories, and for exports may be satisfied earlier.

From State of the Union Address by Truman, Harry S.

Related Words

• consumer durables
• consumer goods