sustainable

adjective sus·tain·able \ sə-ˈstā-nə-bəl \

Definition of sustainable

1 :capable of being sustained

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

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

sustainable society

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sustainability

play \-ˌstā-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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sustainably

play \-ˈstā-nə-blē\ adverb

See sustainable defined for English-language learners

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 of sustainable from the Web

Owners Stephanie and Dave Webster concentrate on sustainable and artisanal cheese and can tell you the story behind each one.

— polly campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Celebrate cheese at Smale Park's Cheese Fest," 30 Aug. 2017
In a perfect world, all of my intimates would be from Baserange — not only because each of the brand’s pieces are sustainable, but also because of their cool minimalist take on comfy favorites.

— indya brown, The Cut, "10 Bralettes That Will Make You Want to Give Up Padding for Good," 14 Aug. 2017
But his involvement also raises an interesting question: is this joke really sustainable?

— laura bradley, vanityfair.com, "Netflix’s New Idea: “What If Making a Murderer, but with Penis Graffiti?”," 3 Aug. 2017
The answer is yes—because organizers fly in over 16 tons of live lobsters from a sustainable fishery in the Gulf of Maine.

— lisa beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Port of L.A. Lobster Fest Is This Weekend in Case You’re Wondering What You’re Doing This Weekend," 10 July 2017
Boise economist Don Reading estimated that a healthy, sustainable salmon fishery would have economic impacts of $544 million annually in Idaho alone.

— rocky barker, idahostatesman, "Northwest salmon, the stuff of legends, still struggle to survive. Can we save them — and at what price?," 8 July 2017
Kennedy ultimately spent two years there, helping the locals build a more sustainable business around giving tours of a series of magnificent waterfalls.

— matt viser, Town & Country, "Meet the Next President Kennedy," 6 July 2017
But returning to negotiations without insisting that North Korea give up weapons, or at least stop further development, would reward bad behavior and undermine nonproliferation on the basis of minimal hope that a sustainable compromise would emerge.

— daniel kurtz-phelan, Daily Intelligencer, "How Trump Made the Nearly Impossible North Korea Problem Even Worse," 6 July 2017
The only way to shed excess pounds in a sustainable way is to fill up on veggies and fruit, cut back on saturated fat and added sugar and get movin'! 6.

— jaclyn london, ms, rd, Good Housekeeping, "10 Apple Cider Vinegar Myths You Should Stop Believing ASAP," 5 July 2017

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