sustainability

American  

[suh-stey-nuh-bil-i-tee] / səˌsteɪ nəˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

1. the ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed.

2. Environmental Science. the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance.

   The committee is developing sustainability standards for products that use energy.

---

Etymology

Origin of sustainability

sustain + -ability

Example Sentences

Drivers include tensions between the U.S. and Europe and heightened worries over Japan’s fiscal sustainability, the senior economist and senior currency strategist says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Such a tax cut could take a big chunk out of government revenue, potentially raising alarm about the sustainability of Japan’s sizable debt.

From The Wall Street Journal

“That has to be a metric too: sustainability and availability,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

They also note that "The increasing demand for and excessive consumption of plastic have led to serious challenges for human and ecosystem health, posing threats to environmental sustainability and food safety."

From Science Daily

“Gaming remains the cornerstone of our ecosystem. With this change we are shifting our investment to focus on our third-party developers and partners to ensure long-term sustainability,” the memo said.

From Los Angeles Times