Meaning & use

nonrenewable

adjective·Academic

Not able to be replaced once used up, especially describing a natural resource.

See it in a sentence

Oil and coal are nonrenewable resources that took millions of years to form.

Relying on nonrenewable energy sources raises concerns about long-term sustainability.

A note on using this word

Almost always used in discussions of energy and natural resources, contrasted with renewable sources like solar or wind.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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