sustainability

sustainability — noun

1. the ability of a system, business, organisation, or practice to keep working or

1.nounB2
Definition

the ability of a system, business, organisation, or practice to keep working or existing for a long period without failing.

Example

The long-term sustainability of the pension system depends on stable government funding.

sustainability + of + noun phrase — pattern for what continues

Obi questioned whether the current farming methods had any long-term sustainability.

Common collocations
  • financial sustainability
  • long-term sustainability
  • economic sustainability
  • ensure sustainability
  • threaten sustainability
  • sustainability of the system
Synonyms
  • viability

    focuses on whether something can succeed or survive; slightly more about feasibility

  • continuity

    emphasises uninterrupted existence rather than the conditions needed to keep going

  • durability

    more concrete and physical; less common for abstract systems

Antonyms
  • unsustainability

    the condition of being impossible to maintain

  • collapse

    a sudden failure rather than a gradual inability to continue

Grammar Patterns

sustainability + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Common in academic, policy, and business writing. The 'of'-phrase specifies what is being sustained: 'the sustainability of the health-care system'. Often modified by 'long-term', 'financial', or 'economic'.

Common Mistakes

The sustainability of the chair is poor.
The chair's durability is poor.
'sustainability' is about continuing over time, not about physical sturdiness or build quality.

2. the practice of using natural resources and energy in ways that avoid damaging t

2.nounB1
Definition

the practice of using natural resources and energy in ways that avoid damaging the environment, so that the earth's ecosystems can stay healthy for future generations.

Example

The company's new packaging plan puts sustainability ahead of short-term profit.

put sustainability ahead of — contrastive pattern

Jiwoo chose a degree in environmental science because she cares deeply about sustainability.

Common collocations
  • environmental sustainability
  • corporate sustainability
  • sustainability goals
  • sustainability report
  • commitment to sustainability
  • promote sustainability
  • support sustainability
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • unsustainability

    practices that damage the environment and cannot be maintained

  • wastefulness

    focuses on inefficient use of resources rather than environmental damage

Grammar Patterns

sustainability + noun (e.g. sustainability goals, sustainability report)

Usage Note

Very frequently used attributively before other nouns: 'sustainability goals', 'sustainability report', 'sustainability officer'. In business contexts the word is often shorthand for corporate environmental responsibility.

Common Mistakes

Sustainability only means using less plastic.
Sustainability covers energy use, waste, water, supply chains, and long-term resource planning.
learners often reduce the concept to a single habit.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All three terms relate to the environmental sense of sustainability, but they differ in scope and register. Eco-friendliness is the most consumer-facing word — shoppers talk about 'eco-friendly products' without necessarily considering the full lifecycle of resources. Greenness is even more colloquial and can carry a promotional tone ('the company's greenness is just marketing'). Environmental responsibility is the most formal of the three; it frames the issue as a moral or ethical obligation ('corporate environmental responsibility'). Sustainability is the broadest and most precise term — it includes the economic and social dimensions of long-term resource management, not just the environmental one. For example: 'A product may claim eco-friendliness because of biodegradable packaging, but true sustainability requires looking at the entire supply chain.'

eco-friendlinessgreenness ↗environmental responsibility

Common collocations

Nouns

  • sustainability plan
  • sustainability issue
  • sustainability policy
  • sustainability effort
  • sustainability strategy
  • sustainability initiative

Phrases

  • long-term sustainability
  • commitment to sustainability
  • focus on sustainability
  • move toward sustainability

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'sustainability' is formed from 'sustainable' + '-ity'. 'Sustainable' comes from 'sustain' (from Old French 'sustenir', meaning 'hold up, support') + '-able'. The root is Latin 'sustinere' — 'sub-' (from below) + 'tenere' (to hold). The general sense ('able to continue over time') appeared in English by the 1960s. The modern environmental meaning spread widely after the 1987 Brundtland Report defined 'sustainable development', and 'sustainability' became a core term in global policy and business by the 1990s.