English Lexicon

Unsustainable Growth

/ˌʌn.səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl ɡroʊθ/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #1500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    Economic growth that cannot be maintained over the long term without causing severe environmental or social harm.

    "The company's unsustainable growth model led to significant ecological damage."
  2. 2

    A pattern of development that relies on finite resources, leading to eventual decline.

    "The region's unsustainable growth has resulted in a depletion of its natural resources."

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Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term 'unsustainable' is derived from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and 'sustainable' from the Latin 'sustinere', meaning 'to hold up'. 'Growth' originates from Old English 'growan', meaning 'to grow'. The concept has evolved in the late 20th century to describe economic practices that deplete resources unsustainably.

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10 Global Lexicons: How "Unsustainable Growth" is said worldwide

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🇫🇷French → English

Croissance non durable

Transliteration: kʁwasɑ̃ nɔ̃ dyʁabl

"La croissance non durable peut causer des dommages environnementaux."

🇩🇪German → English

Nicht nachhaltiges Wachstum

Transliteration: nɪçt ˈnaːxhaltɪɡəs ˈvaːkstuːm

"Nicht nachhaltiges Wachstum führt zu ökologischen Problemen."

🇮🇹Italian → English

Crescita insostenibile

Transliteration: ˈkɾɛʃʃita insosteˈniːbile

"La crescita insostenibile danneggia l'ambiente."

🇪🇸Spanish → English

Crecimiento insostenible

Transliteration: kɾeθiˈmjento insostenible

"El crecimiento insostenible puede llevar a la crisis ambiental."

🇵🇹Portuguese → English

Crescimento insustentável

Transliteration: kɾeʃiˈmẽtu ĩsusˈtẽtavɛl

"O crescimento insustentável causa danos ao meio ambiente."

🇮🇳Hindi → English

अस्थायी वृद्धि

Transliteration: asthāyī vṛddhi

"अस्थायी वृद्धि पर्यावरण को नुकसान पहुंचा सकती है।"

🇨🇳Chinese → English

不可持续增长

Transliteration: bù kě chí xù zēng zhǎng

"不可持续增长会导致资源枯竭。"

🇰🇷Korean → English

지속 불가능한 성장

Transliteration: jisok bulganeunghan seongjang

"지속 불가능한 성장은 환경에 해를 끼칠 수 있습니다."

🇯🇵Japanese → English

持続不可能な成長

Transliteration: jizoku fukanō na seichō

"持続不可能な成長は環境に悪影響を与える可能性があります。"

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