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.
It also includes a new Peatlands Strategy, city draining plans for Londonderry and Belfast, a Sustainable Agriculture Programme and a new Food Strategy Framework.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
U.S. investors have poured $6.6 trillion into achieving partially nonpecuniary results, according to the US Sustainable Investment Forum.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
Andreas Rudinger, from the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, said the economic knock-on effects of the war had put policy makers "under pressure to reduce the burden on prices over climate action".
From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026
They threatened legal action against Costco, Unilever, Coca-Cola and 75 other companies for participating in the Plastic Pact, the Consumer Goods Forum and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
"We wanted to know how a special oat-based diet affects patients," says Simon, who is also a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Areas "Life & Health" and "Sustainable Futures" at the University of Bonn.
From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2026
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.
