renewable

adjective

re·​new·​able ri-ˈnü-ə-bəl 

-ˈnyü-

1

: capable of being renewed

renewable contracts

2

: capable of being replaced by natural ecological cycles or sound management practices

renewable resources

renewability

ri-ˌnü-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

-ˌnyü-

noun

renewable noun

renewably

ri-ˈnü-ə-blē 

-ˈnyü-

adverb

Examples of renewable in a Sentence

a renewable life insurance policy

Forests are renewable natural resources, but they must be treated with care.

Wind and water are renewable fuel sources.

Recent Examples on the Web

For years, the price of renewable energy plummeted, driven by economies of scale, technological breakthroughs, and globalized supply chains. —Felicia Jackson, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025

Teskey said renewable energy can be deployed quickly to meet power demand from the technology sector, which requires massive amounts of energy for new data centers. —David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025

The most significant of those technologies is green hydrogen, a fuel created by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using an electric current powered by renewable energy; this green fuel can replace fossil fuels in heavy industry and transportation. —Justin Worland, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025

The country has rapidly invested in renewable sources like wind and solar, but the country’s high energy costs remain a huge burden on companies trying to compete with rivals in Europe, Asia and America, where electricity costs less. —Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for renewable

• chewable
• doable
• viewable
• nonrenewable
• reviewable

Kids Definition

renewable

adjective

re·​new·​able ri-ˈn(y)ü-ə-bəl 

1

: capable of being renewed

2

: capable of being replaced by natural ecological cycles or sound management procedures

renewable resources like water, wildlife, forests, and grasslands