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sustainability

sus-tay-nuh-BILL-ih-tee /səˌsteɪnəˈbɪləti/

nounB2GRETOEFLIELTSUPSC

environmentaleconomicacademic

The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level; avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.

Sustainability is the long-term goal; resilience and mitigation are the tools we use to achieve it.

The story behind the word. From the Latin 'sub' (from below) and 'tenere' (to hold). It literally means 'to hold up from below'. Imagine a pillar holding up a roof—that is the essence of sustainability. It entered the environmental lexicon in the 1970s and 80s.

Word relationships

viability: The ability to work successfully; more focused on business than the environment.
continuity: The unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over a period of time.

depletion: Reduction in the number or quantity of something.
unsustainability: The quality of not being able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

Commonly confused with

conservation: Conservation is about 'saving' resources; sustainability is about 'using' them in a way that they last forever.

Word family

sustainable (adjective): Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
sustain (verb): Strengthen or support physically or mentally.

Collocations

environmental sustainability
economic sustainability
sustainability goals
corporate sustainability

Example sentences

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Global Policy (Brundtland Report, 'Our Common Future', 1987)
"The company's long-term sustainability depends on its ability to transition to renewable energy sources." Business

Memory hook

Think of a 'Sustain' pedal on a piano: it 'holds' the note so it lasts longer. Sustainability is 'holding up' the future.

When not to use

Don't use it to mean 'durability'; sustainability implies a relationship with the environment, not just lasting a long time.

Fun facts

The 'Triple Bottom Line' of sustainability includes: People, Planet, and Profit.
The first known use of the term in an environmental sense was in a 1972 book called 'Blueprint for Survival'.