unsustainable

adjective

un·​sus·​tain·​able ˌən-sə-ˈstā-nə-bəl How to pronounce unsustainable (audio)
Synonyms of unsustainablenext
: 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
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Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s also jointly ended their partnership in July 2025 after finding the venture financially unsustainable, leading to over $50 million in charges for the doughnut company. Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026 The House of Representatives voted to approve a four-year contract granting annual raises of up to 5% to 3,661 state employees, setting aside Republican complaints of unsustainable growth in wages and benefits. Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026 That kind of move was clearly unsustainable. Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026 This is an unsustainable situation; outages leave manatees vulnerable, and in the future, most power plants plan to transition their technology to methods that no longer discharge warm water. Elizabeth Neville, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

“Unsustainable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsustainable. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.

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