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.
For that to happen, it would require fundamental policy adjustments, like decreasing the size of the federal budget deficit, to address investors’ concerns in a more sustainable way.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
McGonigle, added that his college "supports the modernisation and transformation of surgical services where this improves outcomes for patients and helps ensure services are sustainable for the future".
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
On one side: beef ranchers and dairy operators who advocate sustainable and organic food and land practices; they note the seashore was established, in part, to preserve their way of life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
"We are seeing an increased use of sustainable funds in recent years," said Axel Hartmann, a spokesman for BNP Paribas Personal Investors in Germany.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
“One outfit that morphs at your command. Very sustainable if you could get it to work.”
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
