Sustainability
/səˌsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti/noun
The ability to be maintained at a certain level or rate over time.
Did you know?Sustainability comes from the Latin root for “to hold up” or “support,” so beneath the modern green movement is an old language of endurance, support, and keeping something from collapsing.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
sustinēre
“to hold up, support, endure”
Old French
Old French
sostenir
“to uphold, support, maintain”
Middle English
English
sustenen
“to support, keep up, endure”
Late Middle English
English
sustenaunce
“support, maintenance; nourishment”
18th Century
English
sustainable
“capable of being sustained”
19th Century
English
sustainability
“the quality of being sustainable”
Modern English
English
sustainability
“the ability to be maintained at a certain level or rate over time”