Home › Nature › Renewable Energy & Sustainability › sustainable

sustainable

suh-STAY-nuh-buhl /səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl/

adjectiveB2IELTSTOEFLGRESAT

academiccorporatejournalistic

Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level without exhausting natural resources or causing ecological imbalance.

Broad concept covering environmental, financial, and social endurance over long time horizons.

The story behind the word. Derived from Old French 'sustenir', from Latin 'sustinere' meaning 'to hold up, support, or endure'. It gained its modern ecological meaning in the late 20th century following major United Nations environmental summits.

Word relationships

viable: 'Viable' means capable of working successfully, whereas 'sustainable' specifically includes long-term endurance without depletion.

unsustainable: Directly indicates activities that inevitably cause resource depletion or systemic collapse.

Commonly confused with

renewable: 'Renewable' applies to energy resources, while 'sustainable' applies to human practices, economics, and overall ecosystems.

Word family

sustain (verb): To strengthen, support, or maintain over time.
sustainability (noun): The quality of being sustainable.

Collocations

sustainable development
sustainable agriculture
sustainable practices
sustainable growth

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

Memory hook

SUSTAINABLE keeps things SUSTAINED beneath you so you don't fall over time. Holding up the future without breaking down.

When not to use

Avoid using purely as a vague buzzword for 'good' or 'eco-friendly' when specific environmental metrics are required.

Fun facts

The word 'sustainability' did not regularly appear in economic textbooks until after the 1972 publication of 'The Limits to Growth'.