Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective That cannot be renewed.
- adjective Of or relating to an energy source, such as oil or natural gas, or a natural resource, such as a metallic ore, that is not replaceable after it has been used.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective That can not be renewed. Opposite of
renewable .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Not able to be
renewed ; incapable ofrenewal . - adjective With respect to a
resource ,unsustainable ; not able to beregrown orrenewed ; not having anongoing orcontinuous source of supply;finite . - noun A resource that is not renewable.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective that can not be renewed
Etymologies
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Examples
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This is why fossil fuels are called a nonrenewable resource -- once they're gone, they're gone.
Rebecca Anderson: Climate Science Round-Up: How to Make a Fossil Fuel Rebecca Anderson 2010
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Counting hydropower as "nonrenewable" and limiting environmentally clean nuclear power when $4 billion has been spent for the Yucca Flats facility is counter to developing the needs of our country.
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Yes, we know it contributes to pollution, and yes, it is "nonrenewable," and yes, we still haven't learned to use it as efficiently as we could.
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When you base your entire economy on an energy-intensive system and then rely on nonrenewable fossil fuels to support it -- and allow elected officials to be bought by the industry -- no doubt communities will suffer and the rights of people will fall to the bottom of the priority list.
Stefanie Penn Spear: Will Natural Gas Become the 'Achilles' Heel' of Our Country? Stefanie Penn Spear 2012
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Calderon's nonrenewable six-year term runs through November 2012.
Mexico's Lopez Obrador to Run For President in 2012 Juan Montes 2011
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Rodale.com explains that plastic is made from nonrenewable resources, petroleum or natural gas.
Can You Go Plastic-Free For An Entire Month? The Huffington Post 2011
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Rodale.com explains that plastic is made from nonrenewable resources, petroleum or natural gas.
Can You Go Plastic-Free For An Entire Month? The Huffington Post 2011
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Mr. Calderón's nonrenewable six-year term runs through November 2012.
Mexican Finance Minister Quits to Seek Presidency Anthony Harrup 2011
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The knock against fake fur is that nylon, acrylic, and polyester are made from nonrenewable petroleum.
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If the price of a nonrenewable resource is growing at a rate in excess of the interest rate that's a powerful incentive to develop a substitute.
Environment-friendly Farming?, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
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