nonrenewable
nonrenewable — adjective
- nonrenewablepositive
- more nonrenewablecomparative
- most nonrenewablesuperlative
1. describes a natural material, especially a fuel such as coal, oil, or natural ga
describes a natural material, especially a fuel such as coal, oil, or natural gas, that exists in a fixed amount on Earth and will be completely used up one day because natural processes cannot create a new supply within a human lifetime
Many power plants still depend on nonrenewable resources such as coal and oil.
collocation: nonrenewable resources
Minh's town plans to replace nonrenewable energy sources with solar and wind power.
collocation: nonrenewable energy sources
Anong's village lost its main income when the nearby nonrenewable copper deposit was exhausted.
Nala learned that natural gas is a nonrenewable resource formed over millions of years.
Renata's bus company in São Paulo raised fares after nonrenewable diesel costs doubled in 2023.
- exhaustible
more formal and less common; focuses on the fact that the supply can be emptied
- finite
broader in meaning; describes anything that has a limit, not just fuels
- depletable
rare in everyday speech; used in technical economics writing
- renewable
the direct opposite; describes energy sources that can be replaced naturally (sun, wind, water)
- inexhaustible
emphasizes that a supply will never run out; less common than renewable
用法筆記
Most often appears before nouns such as resource, energy, fuel, and material. A second, less common use describes agreements, permits, or licenses that cannot be extended when they expire.