exhaustible

IPA/ɪɡˈzɔː.stə.bəl/
IPA/ɪɡˈzɑː.stə.bəl/

exhaustible — adjective

  • exhaustiblepositive
  • more exhaustiblecomparative
  • most exhaustiblesuperlative

1. describing a limited supply of something — particularly natural resources, fuels

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a limited supply of something — particularly natural resources, fuels, or materials — that can be completely consumed and will not be renewed or replaced through natural processes within a meaningful timeframe.

Example

Oil and natural gas are exhaustible resources that scientists warn will not last another century.

collocation: exhaustible resources

Marco argued that relying on exhaustible fuels like coal is a short-term strategy.

Common collocations
  • exhaustible resources
  • exhaustible supplies
  • exhaustible fuels
  • exhaustible energy sources
  • exhaustible minerals
  • exhaustible raw materials
Synonyms
  • finite

    broader term — can apply to abstract concepts (e.g., finite time); exhaustible is restricted to physical resources

  • depletable

    more technical, emphasises the gradual consumption process; less common in general use

  • non-renewable

    stronger environmental-policy term; specifically of energy sources that natural processes cannot regenerate within a human timescale

Antonyms
  • inexhaustible

    suggests an endless or seemingly unlimited supply

  • renewable

    can be replenished naturally at a rate comparable to or faster than consumption

Grammar Patterns

exhaustible + noun (resource / supply / fuel / energy source)

Usage Note

Subject is almost always a natural resource, fuel, or material supply rather than an abstract concept. Frequently contrasted with renewable or inexhaustible in the same sentence to highlight the distinction.

Common Mistakes

His patience is exhaustible.
His patience is limited.
exhaustible is rarely used for abstract personal qualities; it mainly describes physical resources and fuels.
This phone battery is exhaustible.
This phone battery runs out / needs recharging.
everyday objects that can be recharged or replaced are not described as exhaustible.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe limited availability, but exhaustible is the only one that specifically implies 'can be completely used up to nothing'. Finite (the most common of the group) simply means there is a boundary or limit, without emphasising total depletion — time is finite but not exhaustible. Depletable is more technical and focuses on the process of gradual reduction; it appears in scientific literature about soil nutrients or groundwater reserves. Non-renewable is the strongest policy term, used almost exclusively for energy and mineral resources that cannot be regenerated. A natural gas field is exhaustible, finite, depletable, and non-renewable all at once, but the word you choose signals whether you are making a general observation (finite), a technical measurement (depletable), or a policy argument (non-renewable).

finite ↗depletablenon-renewable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Derived from the Latin verb exhaurīre (to drain out, draw off), combining ex- (out) + haurīre (to draw, drain). The English adjective exhaustible formed from exhaust (verb, 16th century) + -ible (able to be), appearing in the early 1800s as industrialisation made resource limits a practical concern.