sustainable
/səˈsteɪnəbəl/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.19 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Able to be produced or sustained for an indefinite period without damaging the environment, or without depleting a resource; renewable.
noun
Example Sentences
- "sustainable economy"
- "In addition to the resources listed in the organic and local food sections earlier, a good source of sustainable meat is Heritage Foods USA (heritagefoodsusa.com)."
- "Some critics have asserted that sustainable food is "elitist"; that it's too expensive and not widely available."
- "A city on a hill—or many cities on hills—surrounded by unbroken vistas of beautiful countryside; small, thriving, family-run farms growing organic, seasonal, and sustainable fruits and vegetables specific to the region."
- "Right now, rich nations devour 28 tonnes of material per person per year – including everything from fish to forests, plastics to metals. That’s four times more than ecologists say is sustainable."
- "It has only been in the last 20 years that the long-term trend away from fossil fuels and toward nuclear energy and sustainables has intensified."
Etymology
Etymology tree English sustain Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English sustainable From sustain + -able.