durabilité
/dy.ʁa.bi.li.te/feminine
Sustainability in French is durabilité.
In an ecological sense, durabilité refers to the capacity for something to be maintained or to last over time without depleting resources.
Meaning: ecological sense (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed from the adjective durable (meaning durable or lasting) combined with the suffix -ité, which is the French equivalent of the English suffix -ity.
Which one should you use?
Durabilité is the standard term for sustainability. However, if you specifically want to refer to the concept of 'sustainable development', it is more common to use the phrase développement durable.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun durabilité is feminine, so it is preceded by the feminine article la to form la durabilité (the sustainability).
How do you pronounce it?
/dy.ʁa.bi.li.te/. The word has 5 syllables.
Did you know?
- The term développement durable became a global standard after being popularized by the 1987 Brundtland Report, shifting the French word durable from meaning 'sturdy' to meaning 'environmentally sound'.
- The French phrase développement durable is often abbreviated in professional and governmental contexts as DD, a shorthand rarely used in English for sustainability.
- The adjective durable can describe both a sustainable ecosystem and a piece of clothing that is physically hard-wearing or sturdy.
Examples in context
- La durabilité est un enjeu mondial majeur pour notre planète.Sustainability is a major global challenge for our planet.
- Nous devons travailler sur la durabilité de notre modèle économique.We must work on the sustainability of our economic model.
- Ce projet favorise la durabilité des ressources naturelles.This project promotes the sustainability of natural resources.
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are discussing their new project at work.
- LéaJe veux mettre l'accent sur la durabilité.I want to focus on sustainability.
- LucasC'est une excellente idée pour notre image.That is an excellent idea for our image.
- LéaOn peut utiliser des matériaux recyclés.We can use recycled materials.
- LucasJe suis d'accord, Lucas approuve ce choix.I agree, Lucas approves of this choice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sustainability” translations and entries durabilité, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
