durable

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

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

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

See durable defined for English-language learners

See durable defined for kids

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

Recent Examples of durable from the Web

The science center has since installed more durable, acrylic versions of the hearts on its bridge.

— dewayne bevil, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Old paper hearts turn into new Pulse tribute at Orlando Science Center," 8 June 2018
Their award-winning cabinetry has been constructed with durable materials with breakthrough technology able to withstand humidity, temperature and abrasions.

— valerie sweeten, Houston Chronicle, "On the Market/Condo Life: Luxury bathrooms enhance high-rises across Houston," 3 June 2018
Finally, there are areas of capital spending, such as software, not included in the durable-goods report.

— justin lahart, WSJ, "Why Aren’t Companies Spending More?," 27 May 2018
And this exposure can do durable damage to a child’s cognitive faculties, including her memory, attention, reasoning, and motor skills.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Jordan Peterson Does Not Support ‘Equality of Opportunity’," 25 May 2018
In all other respects, the Tundra Haul looks and functions like its predecessor, with the same design, insulation, and durable materials.

— ariella gintzler, Outside Online, "Yeti Releases a Tundra on Wheels," 14 May 2018
Inspired by the bone model Kröger and his colleagues propose, developers could begin designing a new generation of stronger, more durable, lightweight building materials reinforced by a helical skeleton within.

— angus chen, Scientific American, "Core Strength: Extreme “Close Ups” May Help Explain Why Our Bones Are So Strong," 3 May 2018
Questions abound about the movement's staying power, but there's ample evidence that its impact will be durable.

— faith read xenos, miamiherald, "#MeToo must also advocate for financial independence | Miami Herald," 22 Apr. 2018
Another option is replacing the entire pipeline with a more durable material along the same route.

— Washington Post, "Grand Canyon tests change in water system serving visitors," 30 Mar. 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.

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."