sustainable

[ suh-stey-nuh-buhl ]
See synonyms for sustainable on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. capable of being supported or upheld, as by having its weight borne from below.

  2. 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.

  1. able to be maintained or kept going, as an action or process: a sustainable negotiation between the two countries.

  2. able to be confirmed or upheld: a sustainable decision.

  3. able to be supported as with the basic necessities or sufficient funds: a sustainable life.

Origin of sustainable

1

Other words from sustainable

  • sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty, noun
  • non·sus·tain·a·ble, adjective
  • non·sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty, noun
  • un·sus·tain·a·ble, adjective

Words Nearby sustainable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sustainable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sustainable

sustainable

/ (səˈsteɪnəbəl) /


adjective
  1. capable of being sustained

  2. (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

  1. (of economic growth) non-inflationary

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012