nonrenewable

adjective

non·​re·​new·​able ˌnän-ri-ˈnü-ə-bəl How to pronounce nonrenewable (audio)
-ˈnyü-
: not able to be renewed : not renewable
a nonrenewable service contract
especially : unable to be replaced or replenished once used
… most of the natural resources that we exploit for energy and minerals are nonrenewable. Once they have been used up, they cannot be replenished—at least in our lifetime. Sheldon Judson and Marvin E. Kauffman
A nonrenewable resource is a resource that cannot be replaced after it is used. Minerals and many fuels are nonrenewable resources. Dr. Timothy Cooney et al.
Physical and economic shortages of nonrenewable resources require research programs aimed at developing renewable replacement resources. Predicasts Technology Update
Lubbock is the principal city of the semi-arid southern High Plains of Texas, where the extensive, nonrenewable Ogallala aquifer is the major water resource. AAG Abstracts

Examples of nonrenewable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Precious, nonrenewable resources were decimated, with no thought to their conservation, let alone preservation. Time, 16 July 2025 Energy Secretary Chris Wright used the findings to underscore the need to maintain current power sources, such as coal and natural gas, aligning with President Trump’s embrace of nonrenewable energy. Julia Shapero, The Hill, 7 July 2025 City leaders see the natural ground reserves as a key component in Boise’s shift away from nonrenewable energy. Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 29 Mar. 2025 The book illustrated the many ways in which increases in the human population and consumption levels undermine the sustainability of human society, including through pollution, the depletion of both renewable and nonrenewable resources, and industrial production. Frances Beinecke, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2012 See All Example Sentences for nonrenewable

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonrenewable was in 1903

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Cite this Entry

“Nonrenewable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonrenewable. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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