Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Name That Thing

Take our visual vocab quiz

Test Your Knowledge »

True or False?

A quick quiz about stuff worth knowing

Take It Now »

Join Us on FB & Twitter

Get the Word of the Day and More

Facebook | Twitter

sustainable


sus·tain·able

adj \sə-ˈstā-nə-bəl\

Definition of SUSTAINABLE

1
: capable of being sustained
2
a : of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged <sustainable techniques> <sustainable agriculture> b : of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods <sustainable society>
sus·tain·abil·i·ty \-ˌstā-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun
sus·tain·ably \-ˈstā-nə-blē\ adverb

Examples of SUSTAINABLE

  1. <a line of argument that is probably not sustainable in a public forum against skilled debaters>
  2. <has no sustainable claim to the property without a deed or some other document>

First Known Use of SUSTAINABLE

circa 1727

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: sustained–release
Previous Word in the Dictionary: sustain (noun)
All Words Near: sustainable

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up sustainable? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).