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.
Co-ordinator of Share Oxford, which also runs repair cafes in Oxford, Ben Tuppen previously said society needed to be more innovative in its approach to sustainability.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Llyr Gruffydd, cabinet minister for rural resilience and sustainability, said the £20 fixed fine for idling was "insufficient", and not being used "in the way everyone might envision it".
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
“I felt like they were causing sustainability problems for the institution,” he said.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
“Until we see changes in both of those levers, prices are likely to stay elevated,” Bonner said at a dinner for financial and sustainability officers that coincided with the United Nations General Assembly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 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.
