self-sustainability

Meanings

1. 1noununcountableformal

   The ability to continue without outside help or resources.

   Grammar: Uncountable: no plural, and no 'a' before it.

   Patterns

   • achieve self-sustainability
   • self-sustainability of something

   The village aims for self-sustainability by growing its own food.

   Economic self-sustainability is the goal of the program.

   They studied the self-sustainability of small farms in the region.

2. 2noununcountabletechnical

   The state of being able to be maintained over time without damaging the environment or using up resources.

   Grammar: Uncountable; often used in environmental contexts.

   Patterns

   • environmental self-sustainability
   • achieve self-sustainability

   The building was designed for environmental self-sustainability.

   Their report focuses on energy self-sustainability.

Common combinations

achieve self-sustainability

The community hopes to achieve self-sustainability within five years.

economic self-sustainability

Economic self-sustainability means the project can fund itself.

environmental self-sustainability

Environmental self-sustainability requires reducing waste.

Synonyms and how they differ

independence

A general word for not depending on others; self-sustainability is more specific and formal, often about systems or resources.

self-sufficiency

Very close, but often about producing your own food or goods; self-sustainability can also mean maintaining something long-term.

Opposites

Word family

self-sustaining adjective

Able to continue without outside help.

sustainable adjective

Able to continue over time without harm.

sustainability noun

The general quality of being sustainable.

Commonly confused: self-sustainability or sustainability?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “self-sustainability”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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