viability

noun

vi·​a·​bil·​i·​ty ˌvī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

: the quality or state of being viable: such as

a(1)

: the ability to live, grow, and develop

the viability of seeds under dry conditions

(2)

: the capability of a fetus to survive outside the uterus

fetal viability

b

: the ability to function adequately

The viability of lymphocytes serially harvested from stored bank blood …

—Biological Abstracts

c

: the ability to succeed or be sustained

This year's market turmoil had called into question the viability of the investment-banking business model …

—Wall Street Journal

Getting an informed start now may be essential to future growth and economic viability of the U.S. wine industry.

—Gordon W Murchie

Examples of viability in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As the sector continues to sort out all this potential, the lasting viability of any BFSI firm depends on its ability to protect and serve its customers. —Parijat Banerjee, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024

The track improved 40% to 10.3 million official U.S. streams in its second week, further suggesting viability. —Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2024

Beyond the question of power, the other pressing question about electro-agriculture’s viability is that of where the CO2 would come from. —Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2024

The executive’s company has already begun to dedicate resources towards exploring the viability of EV alternatives, like e-fuels and hydrogen powertrains. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

viability

noun

vi·​a·​bil·​i·​ty ˌvī-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

plural viabilities

: the quality or state of being viable : the ability to live, grow, and develop