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.
The carbon-neutral sustainable fuels introduced this year would be retained, fending off any accusations about increased emissions from engines that would require substantially more fuel.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
“We regularly assess our locations, products and services to ensure we can continue driving sustainable growth and innovation across our business,” a spokesperson for Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling told SFGate.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
"Women are the one thing that they rely on most right now to make it more long-term and sustainable," the foreign economic official said.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Now that researchers have identified the enzymes responsible for shaping and assembling mitraphylline, they have a clearer path toward producing the compound and related molecules in more sustainable ways.
From Science Daily • May 13, 2026
It is common, among the nonpoor, to think of poverty as a sustainable condition—austere, perhaps, but they get by somehow, don’t they?
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
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.
