unsustainable

play

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

Definition of unsustainable

:not capable of being prolonged or continued :not sustainable

unsustainable agricultural practices

unsustainable growth

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unsustainability

play \ˌən-sə-ˌstā-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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unsustainably

play \ˌən-sə-ˈstā-nə-blē\ adverb

- an unsustainably high rate of growth

See unsustainable defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of unsustainable from the Web

Anything more than that is unsustainable and can lead to a collapse similar to what the nation experienced more than a decade ago, analysts say.

— paul owers, Sun-Sentinel.com, "South Florida home prices rising slower than other areas nationwide," 29 Aug. 2017
CalPortland says the union proposals are economically unsustainable.

— mike rosenberg, The Seattle Times, "Strike by concrete drivers threatens Seattle construction projects," 16 Aug. 2017
Thankfully the boys have grown up so much that the band can sustain what once seemed unsustainable for what might be a very long time, and do it without seeming like a bunch of geezers looking for a pay day.

— courtney devores, charlotteobserver, "Review: Guns n’ Roses prove pros at long-awaited Carolina return," 12 Aug. 2017
County governments in Wisconsin are financially unsustainable and must reinvent themselves to survive, even if that means erasing borders and merging with the county next door, Washington County leaders say in a letter to four of their neighbors.

— don behm, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Washington County asks neighbors to consolidate services or merge," 23 July 2017
This schizophrenic policy is ultimately unsustainable.

— the editors, National Review, "Certifiable Madness," 19 July 2017
The oil revenue that fueled the country's economy under late President Hugo Chavez has dwindled due to falling oil prices -- and the massive state subsidies of the Chavez era have become unsustainable.

— khushbu shah, leyla santiago and habib maglioni, CNN, "For struggling Venezuelans, relief lies just across the bridge in Colombia," 2 July 2017
Trump has consistently refused to acknowledge any reality that diminishes the grandeur of his election — even when doing so requires him to assert the logically unsustainable.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Suggests That Russia Never Hacked the DNC, ‘It’s All a Big Dem HOAX’," 22 June 2017
A-list talent was the top priority of Fox's version of Idol in its later seasons, a fact that ultimately made the show fiscally unsustainable.

— michael o'connell, The Hollywood Reporter, "It's Official: Katy Perry Boards ABC's 'American Idol' Reboot," 16 May 2017

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