sustainable
/səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl/- 1.
Able to continue for a long time without using up resources or causing harm. Often used to describe practices that protect the environment for future generations.
- The company switched to sustainable packaging to reduce waste.
- Solar power is a sustainable source of energy.
- We need a sustainable plan that works for the next ten years.
- 2.
In business, describes growth or a model that can keep running without burning out resources, money, or people.
- Investors want sustainable profits, not just a one-time gain.
- Their business model is not sustainable at current costs.
Adinary Nuance
Sustainable is often confused with eco-friendly, green, and renewable, but each word does a different job. Eco-friendly simply means "not harmful to the environment" — a product can be eco-friendly today but still deplete resources at scale. Green is more informal and mostly signals environmental good intent, without implying long-term viability. Renewable is narrower — it refers specifically to energy or resources that naturally replenish, like wind or solar. Sustainable is the most systemic of the group: it asks whether something can keep going indefinitely without collapsing the system that supports it. In business writing, sustainable is also used outside environmental topics (e.g., "sustainable growth"), where eco-friendly and green would sound out of place.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- bền vững
- Spanish
- sostenible
- Chinese
- 可持续
- Japanese
- 持続可能
- Korean
- 지속 가능한
Etymology
From Latin "sustinere" (to hold up, support), via Old French "soustenir." The modern environmental sense became widespread in English during the 1980s–90s, largely driven by the 1987 UN Brundtland Report on sustainable development.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between 'sustainable' and 'eco-friendly'?
- 'Eco-friendly' means something does not harm the environment right now. 'Sustainable' goes further — it means something can continue long-term without using up the resources it depends on. All sustainable things tend to be eco-friendly, but not everything eco-friendly is truly sustainable at scale.
- Can 'sustainable' be used in business writing, not just environmental topics?
- Yes, and this is very common. In business, 'sustainable growth' or a 'sustainable model' means the company can keep operating without running out of money, talent, or capacity. You do not need to mention the environment at all.
- Is 'sustainable' a formal word?
- 'Sustainable' sits comfortably in both formal reports and everyday conversation. It is widely used in corporate communications, government documents, and casual social media posts about lifestyle choices. It does not feel stiff or overly academic.
- Is 'sustainable' the same as 'renewable'?
- Not exactly. 'Renewable' specifically describes resources or energy that replenish naturally, like wind, solar, or water. 'Sustainable' is broader — it covers any system, process, or business that can keep going without exhausting its own foundations.