unsustainable

adjective

un·​sus·​tain·​able ˌən-sə-ˈstā-nə-bəl How to pronounce unsustainable (audio)
: not capable of being prolonged or continued : not sustainable
unsustainable agricultural practices
unsustainable growth
unsustainability noun
unsustainably adverb
an unsustainably high rate of growth

Examples of unsustainable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Such ideological exuberance was obviously unsustainable, which was Davis’s main point. Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025 Meanwhile, climate change, as well as unsustainable coastal and marine development, has affected and, at times, destroyed green turtle habitats. Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025 In late May, the majority of bar advocates — private attorneys contracted by the state to represent criminal defendants — at the district court level in Middlesex and Suffolk counties instituted a work stoppage citing low pay and unsustainable work loads. Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025 In the world of The Boys, and what’s going on with Homelander [Antony Starr], everything that Homelander is doing is unsustainable. Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unsustainable

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1677, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsustainable was circa 1677

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unsustainable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsustainable. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on unsustainable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!