durable

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adjective du·ra·ble \ˈdu̇r-ə-bəl also ˈdyu̇r-\

Definition of durable

: able to exist for a long time without significant deterioration in quality or value a durable suitcase; also : designed to be durable durable goods

durability

play \ˌdu̇r-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē, ˌdyu̇r-\ noun

durableness

play \ˈdu̇r-ə-bəl-nəs, ˈdyu̇r-\ noun

durably

play \-blē\ adverb

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durable was our Word of the Day on 12/03/2015. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of durable from the Web

Both were power pitchers, but the Reds surmised that because Bailey was a bigger guy, his arm would be more durable than Cueto’s.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: While Homer Bailey shakes off the rust, let's see if there's a lesson here", 30 June 2017
Amazon claims the unit is more durable than Apple’s latest 7.9 inch IPad Mini 4 ($399).

— jonathan takiff, Philly.com, "Comparing Apple's high end tablet to Amazon's bargain Fire unit", 29 June 2017
But during the 20th century the automobile left one of the most durable marks on city planning.

— carlo ratti, Scientific American, "How Driverless Cars Will Transform Cities", 26 June 2017
But who would have thought that latex brushes would exist or that matte lipstick would be so easy to apply and so durable.

— jenna rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "YSL's Global Beauty Director Is Obsessed With This Scrub You've Never Used", 23 June 2017
This strong and durable messenger bag has a handsome green, gray, and brown color scheme made of both stylish canvas and wool pieces.

— Indianapolis Star, "The Perfect Canvas & Wool Messenger Bag", 21 June 2017
A central tenet of this durable pro-Saudi dogma, indeed of nearly all U.S. alliances in the Middle East, is the sale of U.S. arms.

— evan hill, The Atlantic, "The Dangers of Arming Autocrats", 13 June 2017
Keep in mind that off-brand versions of switches tend to be less durable than the originals, but your individual mileage may vary.

— ian paul, PCWorld, "Aukey's 104-key mechanical keyboard is $35 on Amazon today", 13 June 2017
The Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing index missed expectations with a reading of 56.9 for the month of May, while durable goods orders fell more than expected at 0.8 percent.

— Bloomberg.com, "ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Eases to 56.9 in May", 5 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'durable'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Something "durable" lasts a long time, so it's no surprise that the word comes to us, via Anglo-French, from the Latin verb durare, meaning "to last." Other descendants of "durare" in English include "during," "endure," and "durance" (which now mostly turns up in the phrase "in durance vile," a fancy way of saying "in prison"). "Durable" even has a near synonym in the much rarer "perdurable," which combines "durare" with the prefix per- (meaning "throughout") to create a word that can mean "lasting a very long time or indefinitely" or "eternal."

Origin and Etymology of durable

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin durabilis, from durare to last — more at during

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of durable

lasting, permanent, durable, stable mean enduring for so long as to seem fixed or established. lasting implies a capacity to continue indefinitely. a book that left a lasting impression on me permanent adds usually the implication of being designed or planned to stand or continue indefinitely. permanent living arrangements durable implies power to resist destructive agencies. durable fabrics stable implies lastingness because of resistance to being overturned or displaced. a stable government