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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

sustainable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /səˈsteɪnəbəl/

Etymology

Etymology tree English sustain Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English sustainable From sustain + -able.

Meanings

  1. Able to be sustained.
  2. Able to be produced or sustained for an indefinite period without damaging the environment, or without depleting a resource; renewable.
    • In addition to the resources listed in the organic and local food sections earlier, a good source of sustainable meat is Heritage Foods USA (heritagefoodsusa.com). 2008, Kate L. Harrison, The Green Bride Guide, →ISBN, page 174:
    • Some critics have asserted that sustainable food is "elitist"; that it's too expensive and not widely available. 2008 August–October, Dawn Brighid, "A Taste of Hope", in Organic Gardening, ISSN 1536-108X, volume 55, number 6, page 73 http://books.google.com/books?id=S8MDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA73&dq=%22that+sustainable%22
    • A city on a hill—or many cities on hills—surrounded by unbroken vistas of beautiful countryside; small, thriving, family-run farms growing organic, seasonal, and sustainable fruits and vegetables specific to the region. 2010, Anthony Bourdain, Medium Raw, →ISBN, page 129:
    • Right now, rich nations devour 28 tonnes of material per person per year – including everything from fish to forests, plastics to metals. That’s four times more than ecologists say is sustainable. 2019, Jason Hickel, “Climate breakdown is coming. The UK needs a Greener New Deal”, in Guardian.:
    • sustainable economy

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most sustainable Degree=Sup lexicographic
more sustainable Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Deriveds

sustainable tourist · biosustainable · sustainability · unsustainable · sustainably · ecosustainable · sustainable development · nonsustainable

Translations (76)

hu fenntartható (able to be sustained: environmental term) · fi pysyvä (able to be sustained) · et kestlik (able to be sustained: environmental term) · ca sostenible (able to be sustained: environmental term) · et säästev (able to be sustained: environmental term) · de nachhaltig (able to be sustained) · eo daŭrebla (able to be sustained) · tr surdurulebilir (able to be sustained) · ca sostenible (able to be sustained) · fi ympäristöä säästävä (able to be sustained: environmental term) · pt sustentável (able to be sustained: environmental term) · no bærekraftig (able to be sustained) · ms lestari (able to be sustained: environmental term) · de aufrechterhaltbar (able to be sustained) · la sustinēbilis (able to be sustained) · pl podtrzymywalny (able to be sustained) · pl możliwy do utrzymania (able to be sustained: environmental term) · cs udržitelný (able to be sustained: environmental term) · sw endelevu (able to be sustained: environmental term) · lv ilgtspējīgs (able to be sustained) · ru жизнеспособный (able to be sustained) · fr viable (able to be sustained) · fr durable (able to be sustained: environmental term) · gl sustentábel (able to be sustained) · es sostenible (able to be sustained) · la sustinēbilis (able to be sustained: environmental term) · et jätkusuutlik (able to be sustained: environmental term) · id lestari (able to be sustained: environmental term) · de nachhaltig (able to be sustained: environmental term) · da bæredygtig (able to be sustained) · ka მდგრადი (able to be sustained: environmental term) · es sustentable (able to be sustained: environmental term) · ms mampan (able to be sustained: environmental term) · ka მდგრადი (able to be sustained) · sv hållbar (able to be sustained: environmental term) · ja 持続可能 (able to be sustained) · et kestlik (able to be sustained) · ru возобновля́емый (able to be sustained: environmental term) · es sustentable (able to be sustained) · la sustinābilis (able to be sustained) · id berlanjut (able to be sustained) · ja 持続可能 (able to be sustained: environmental term) · nl verantwoord (able to be sustained: environmental term) · pt sustentável (able to be sustained) · de aufrechtzuerhalten (able to be sustained) · fi kestävä (able to be sustained: environmental term) · ms lestari (able to be sustained) · nl duurzaam (able to be sustained: environmental term) · cmn 可持續的 /可持续的 (able to be sustained) · es sostenible (able to be sustained: environmental term) · ru усто́йчивый (able to be sustained) · pl podtrzymywalny (able to be sustained: environmental term) · la sustinābilis (able to be sustained: environmental term) · cmn 可持續的 /可持续的 (able to be sustained: environmental term) · ru экологичный (able to be sustained: environmental term) · he בר־קיימא (able to be sustained: environmental term) · da holdbar (able to be sustained) · it sostenibile (able to be sustained) · eo daŭripova (able to be sustained: environmental term) · tl likas-kaya (able to be sustained: environmental term) · lv ilgtspējīgs (able to be sustained: environmental term) · ru усто́йчивый (able to be sustained: environmental term) · sv hållbar (able to be sustained) · mi toitū (able to be sustained: environmental term) · ms mampan (able to be sustained) · pl możliwy do utrzymania (able to be sustained) · az dayanıqlı (able to be sustained) · gl sustentábel (able to be sustained: environmental term) · id berkelanjutan (able to be sustained) · et jätkusuutlik (able to be sustained) · no bærekraftig (able to be sustained: environmental term) · az dayanıqlı (able to be sustained: environmental term) · da bæredygtig (able to be sustained: environmental term) · it sostenibile (able to be sustained: environmental term) · az davamlı (able to be sustained) · mi whakauka (able to be sustained)

sustainable en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /səˈsteɪnəbəl/

Etymology

Etymology tree English sustain Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English sustainable From sustain + -able.

Meanings

  1. A renewable energy source.
    • It has only been in the last 20 years that the long-term trend away from fossil fuels and toward nuclear energy and sustainables has intensified. 1996, Joseph Francis Coates, John B. Mahaffie, Andy Hines, 2025: Scenarios of U.S. and Global Society Reshaped by Science and Technology, page 117:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
sustainables Number=Plur lexicographic