sustainable

adjective

sus·​tain·​able sə-ˈstā-nə-bəl 

1

: capable of being sustained

sustainable growth

a sustainable business model

And the ratings spike did not prove sustainable for the rest of the evening.

—Brian Steinberg

2

a

: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged

sustainable techniques

sustainable agriculture

The study reflects a broadening search for more climate-friendly sustainable protein sources.

—Ashley Miznazi

b

: of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods

a sustainable society

a sustainable future

… the most sustainable garment is one that already exists.

—Angela Velasquez

sustainability

sə-ˌstā-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

… several boards throughout the state that focus on green building and sustainability.

—Melissa Followell

sustainably

sə-ˈstā-nə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of sustainable

• justifiable

Examples of sustainable in a Sentence

a line of argument that is probably not sustainable in a public forum against skilled debaters

has no sustainable claim to the property without a deed or some other document

Recent Examples on the Web

The insights gained will help drive the development of more sustainable supply chains, as per the release. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026

Scout is partnering with technical colleges, emphasizing sustainable careers over gig work by offering high salaries, comprehensive medical care and planned on-site childcare, Keogh said. — Chase Jordan october 2, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026

The project helped bring attention to regenerative farming and the importance of maintaining a sustainable ecosystem where people and animals can thrive together. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Beauty is highly skilled at generating attention with founder content, influencer seeding, waitlists, and viral posts that can create fast awareness, but social amplification is not the same as sustainable sell-through. — Rhea Cartwright, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sustainable

• trainable
• ascertainable
• unattainable
• unexplainable
• unobtainable
• unsustainable
• attainable
• explainable
• maintainable
• obtainable