sustainability
Americannoun
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the ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed.
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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
Explanation
"Sustain" means to last over time, so sustainability is the ability of something to last. As a civilization, we are concerned about the sustainability of our planet. Sustainability became a big idea after people began to realize that we were using up our natural resources, so you’re most likely to come across the word when you’re reading about recycling and energy use. If you hear someone talking about sustainability in the context of energy, they’re probably talking about alternatives to oil or coal — both of which will run out in the future. A sustainable source of energy is something that's always there — like water or wind.
Vocabulary lists containing sustainability
Human Geography - Middle School
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Human Geography - High School
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Ecology - Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems - Introductory
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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.
“This comprehensive program of campus-wide upgrades will strengthen the site’s sustainability and accessibility,” said Tim Whalen, vice president of institutional planning for the J. Paul Getty Trust.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
Profit and sustainability will be replaced by squad cost ratio.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Shares of Nvidia, on the other hand, have lagged those of its semiconductor peers in 2026, as some investors remain worried about the sustainability of AI spending.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
This whole ecosystem is massively circular; and while those circular dynamics clearly have a lot of momentum, that, in itself, isn’t enough for medium-term sustainability.
From Barron's • May 23, 2026
Mom said he went there on vacation one time, instead of going to give lectures on sustainability.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
