durables

plural noun

du·​ra·​bles ˈdu̇r-ə-bəlz How to pronounce durables (audio)
 also  ˈdyu̇r-
: consumer goods (such as vehicles and household appliances) that are typically used repeatedly over a period of years

called also durable goods

Examples of durables in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Durable goods were some of the first to see a slowing in price hikes, followed by non-durables — products with a lifespan of under three years — said Kayla Bruun, economic analyst at Morning Consult. Alicia Wallace, CNN, 12 Jan. 2023 Much of the disinflation comes via prices for goods, which declined 0.4% from September to October, notably for durables such as appliances. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2022 The top-performing subsectors were retailers, software, and consumer durables. Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2022 Comparable sales in the U.S. are set to climb 6% in the second quarter, which is higher than expected, and the company has also made progress in clearing out inventories of consumer durables. Allison Nicole Smith, Fortune, 26 July 2022 In fact, monthly data suggest consumer spending is flat or falling, especially on goods, and not just big-ticket durables. Greg Ip, WSJ, 28 July 2022 For consumer durables, demand is likely to be driven by both urban and rural segments, LocalCircles said. Mimansa Verma, Quartz, 26 Sep. 2022 On the negative side, the surge in durable goods spending in the last two years may reduce demand for durables in the coming years. Bill Conerly, Forbes, 9 June 2022 That forced the group to sell off stakes in some core assets such as consumer durables business Eureka Forbes and renewable energy outfit Sterling Wilson Renewable Energy. Anu Raghunathan, Forbes, 29 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'durables.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of durables was in 1941

Dictionary Entries Near durables

Cite this Entry

“Durables.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/durables. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

durables

noun plural
du·​ra·​bles ˈdu̇r-ə-bəlz, ˈdyu̇r- How to pronounce durables (audio)
: consumer goods (as vehicles or appliances) that are typically used repeatedly over a period of years

called also durable goods

More from Merriam-Webster on durables

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