nondurable

adjective

non·​du·​ra·​ble ˌnän-ˈdu̇r-ə-bəl 

 also  -ˈdyu̇r-

: able to exist for only a short time before deteriorating : not durable

… nondurable products such as food, wine and personal care items.

—Suzanne S. Brown

nondurability

ˌnän-ˌdu̇r-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

-ˌdyu̇r-

noun

Scarves and some ornaments of clothing, such as flowers or lace, are often fragile and cannot be worn long. These things are purchased with their relative nondurability in mind.

—Cleo Fitzsimmons

Examples of nondurable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its purpose is to replenish nondurable goods—items like printer paper or pet food. —Lauren Goode, WIRED, 8 Mar. 2021

All industries have a worker shortage, except for nondurable goods manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, construction, and transportation and utilities, the research found. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 2 Jan. 2024

Real spending in this area jumped at a remarkable 7.6 percent annual rate in the third quarter, far surpassing a little over 3 percent real growth in spending on nondurable goods and services. —Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

Some of the biggest increases in postings were in professional and business services, finance, other services and nondurable goods manufacturing, according to the report. —Alicia Wallace, CNN, 3 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above