sustainable

American  

[suh-stey-nuh-buhl] / səˈsteɪ nə bəl /

adjective

1. capable of being supported or upheld, as by having its weight borne from below.

2. 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.

3. able to be maintained or kept going, as an action or process.

   a sustainable negotiation between the two countries.

4. able to be confirmed or upheld.

   a sustainable decision.

5. able to be supported as with the basic necessities or sufficient funds.

   a sustainable life.

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sustainable British  

/ səˈsteɪnəbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being sustained

2. (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

3. (of economic growth) non-inflationary

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Other Word Forms

• nonsustainability noun
• nonsustainable adjective
• sustainability noun
• unsustainable adjective

Etymology

Origin of sustainable

sustain + -able

Example Sentences

That income, plus selling his fruit, has made the farm more financially sustainable.

From BBC

Summit, N.J.-based ECP invests in both gas-fired and renewable power plants, as well as businesses that help make energy infrastructure more sustainable.

From The Wall Street Journal

But increased capacity risks cutting into the company’s pricing power, suggesting that elevated margins won’t be sustainable.

From MarketWatch

Some spun it as a testing ground to figure out how human-made media and generative tech could work together sustainably, but that was always a tough sell in this AI slop era.

From Salon

The designation would bring funding to help better manage tourist pressures, grants for farmers to manage the land sustainably and would raise the profile of Welsh language and culture, he added.

From BBC

Related Words

• continual
• continuous
• viable