sustainable
Americanadjective
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capable of being supported or upheld, as by having its weight borne from below.
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pertaining to a system that maintains its own viability by using techniques that allow for continual reuse.
sustainable agriculture. Aquaculture is a sustainable alternative to overfishing.
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able to be maintained or kept going, as an action or process.
a sustainable negotiation between the two countries.
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able to be confirmed or upheld.
a sustainable decision.
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able to be supported as with the basic necessities or sufficient funds.
a sustainable life.
adjective
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capable of being sustained
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(of economic development, energy sources, etc) capable of being maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage
sustainable development
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(of economic growth) non-inflationary
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sustainable
Explanation
If something is sustainable, then it can be maintained or continued. A 5-minute mile pace probably isn't sustainable for anyone other than Olympic marathon runners. These days this adjective is often used to describe something that has a low long-term effect on the environment, like "sustainable agriculture" — a method of farming that doesn’t ravage the land, deplete resources permanently, or produce a great deal of pollution. Break down the word into two parts: sustain and able, to visualize and remember that you're able to sustain something sustainable.
Vocabulary lists containing sustainable
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
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ACT Vocabulary List
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Human Geography - Middle School
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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.
“I want to make it sustainable so it’s here for a very long time,” said Maloney, who estimates he’s opened 11 other restaurants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Investors have become much more picky about buying stocks with sustainable earnings, margins and cash flow.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
The director of the NHS Alliance's acute and ambulance network, Matthew Hopkins, said: "Difficult decisions lie ahead, consolidating maternity services to support safer, more sustainable care."
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Economists say that China's economy must shift towards a more sustainable growth model powered more by domestic consumption than traditional drivers like construction, property development and exports.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026
One day, perhaps the Thunderhead would announce that while everyone was looking the other way, humanity had achieved a sustainable presence beyond the bounds of planet Earth.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
