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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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The ceremony honored achievements in fashion across several categories including ready-to-wear, jewelry, accessories, graduate design and sustainability.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

This rapid growth has raised concerns about sustainability.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

The eight-week programme is being held at the group's field in Sion and involves planting hedges, weeding, watering and studying the concept of sustainability.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

The larger issue for stocks heading into the second quarter, however, is likely to be the speed and sustainability of the nascent recovery.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 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.