Definition of DURABLE

Other Words from durable

durability \ ˌdu̇r-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē

, ˌdyu̇r- \ noun

durableness \ ˈdu̇r-ə-bəl-nəs

, ˈdyu̇r- \ noun

durably \ ˈdu̇r-ə-blē

, ˈdyu̇r- \ adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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."

Examples of durable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These glasses are made with acrylic—not real glass—making them durable and even shatter-resistant. — Brittney Morgan, House Beautiful, "You'd Never Guess These Chic Plates Are Unbreakable," 15 Apr. 2019 Overselling the fledgling deal for short-term political value, however, risks undercutting diplomacy and could make Pompeo’s job of forging a more durable and detailed disarmament plan all the more difficult. — Eli Stokols, latimes.com, "As Trump declares summit a success, Pompeo begins the hard part — negotiating the details of a nuclear deal," 13 June 2018 Samsung is offering it only with the 512GB and 1TB options on the S10+—but the high-gloss, ultra-durable finish might just be worth the extra dough. — Michael Simon, PCWorld, "10 Samsung Galaxy S10, S10e, and S10+ features that actually surprised us," 20 Feb. 2019 Avrame says their homes are more efficient and maintain heat better than traditional A-frames thanks to durable structural insulated panels. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Affordable A-frame house can be built by just two people," 11 Jan. 2019 This latest version follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, with a roomy interior, durable exterior, and a hard shell in titanium, black, and silver. — Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, "RIMOWA's New Pop-Up Is One More Reason to Visit Aspen This Winter," 20 Dec. 2018 The Commerce Department said Wednesday that orders for durable goods dropped 4.4 percent last month. — Martin Crutsinger, The Seattle Times, "US durable goods orders fall 4.4 percent in October," 21 Nov. 2018 Beckham and his colleagues are looking to lignin, a durable polymer that makes trees and grasses stand tall, and could be used to make a whole suite of other plastics and useful materials. — Eva Botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "Closing the loop on plastic recycling?," 5 July 2018 Local coverage determinations are made by seven Medicare administrative contractors that currently oversee 12 jurisdictions across the country, along with four durable medical equipment contractors servicing different regions. — Scott Whitaker, STAT, "It’s time to reform the process for determining what Medicare covers," 27 June 2018

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.