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.
The announcements fanned new demand for the Korean chip makers while easing concerns around the sustainability of massive AI infrastructure spending that had recently weighed on their stocks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The commentary proved welcome news for investors in chip stocks, which had fallen well off their peaks in a dramatic July selloff that reflected fears about the sustainability of AI spending.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
"We'll see the real sustainability benefits start to scale as technologies like these mature and begin to handle more complex, high-barrier paper-based packaging, while matching the speed and cost of plastic packaging lines," he concludes.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
However, concerns about the sustainability of the AI boom and questions over the eye-watering sums pumped into the sector continue to dog traders, as tech firms bear the brunt of selling.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Understanding the interconnectedness between humans and natural ecosystems is a key element in the quest for panda sustainability.
From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh
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.
