renewable

adjective

re·​new·​able ri-ˈnü-ə-bəl 

-ˈnyü-

1

: capable of being renewed

renewable contracts

2

: capable of being replaced by natural ecological cycles or sound management practices

renewable resources

renewability

ri-ˌnü-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

-ˌnyü-

noun

renewable noun

renewably

ri-ˈnü-ə-blē 

-ˈnyü-

adverb

Examples of renewable in a Sentence

a renewable life insurance policy

Forests are renewable natural resources, but they must be treated with care.

Wind and water are renewable fuel sources.

Recent Examples on the Web

Poland—long a leading coal-mining nation—saw renewable power outstrip coal for electric generation in May, thanks to a remarkable surge in solar construction. —Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 9 July 2025

Battery storage facilities have grown in popularity — particularly in California — as a way to bring renewable energy onto to power system. —Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2025

Xiao Qian, China ambassador to Australia, wrote earlier this week that Beijing is open to expanding the free-trade agreement between the countries to cover artificial intelligence, health care and renewable energy. —James Mayger, Fortune, 8 July 2025

There’s no cheap version of this transformation: Picture the resources needed to reconfigure huge, coal-hungry textile mills to run on renewable energy, or to develop entirely new fibers and machines that can spin them without shedding tiny plastic particles or requiring toxic chemicals. —Elizabeth Cline, The Atlantic, 8 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for renewable

• chewable
• doable
• viewable
• nonrenewable
• reviewable

Kids Definition

renewable

adjective

re·​new·​able ri-ˈn(y)ü-ə-bəl 

1

: capable of being renewed

2

: capable of being replaced by natural ecological cycles or sound management procedures

renewable resources like water, wildlife, forests, and grasslands