Noun
The ability to sustain something.
(ecology) A means of configuring civilization and human activity so that society, its members and its economies are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, planning and acting for the ability to maintain these necessary resources for future generations.
(business) The ability to sustain a business in the long term, which is a state that is partly dependent on, but broader than, profitability today or in the short term; it involves aspects of a plausible path toward eventual profitability (as applies to a startup) and ecologic sustainability (for example, the long-term dependence of the timber/lumber industry on forest preservation and renewal, or of fisheries on viable fish stocks).
The making of buggy whips is the proverbial exemplar of a business without sustainability in the face of technological change.
(civics) The ability to sustain a civic practice or process in the long term, such as democracy, entrepreneurialism, a war effort, or others.
universal primary and secondary education, without which the sustainability of innovation and entrepreneurialism seems questionable
When sustainability is viewed as being a matter of survival for your business, I believe you can create massive change. Cameron Sinclair
Sustainability is the key to our survival on this planet and will also determine success on all levels. Shari Arison
Climate change is destroying our path to sustainability. Ours is a world of looming challenges and increasingly limited resources. Sustainable development offers the best chance to adjust our course. Ban Ki-moon
There is absolutely no doubt that our future as a nation, lies in drawing strength from the richness of the cultural diversity that surrounds us, for in that alone lies our sustainability and viability as a sovereign state. Mahendra Chaudhry
The key to understanding the future is one word: sustainability. Patrick Dixon
After all, sustainability means running the global environment - Earth Inc. - like a corporation: with depreciation, amortization and maintenance accounts. In other words, keeping the asset whole, rather than undermining your natural capital. Maurice Strong