nonrenewable

adjective

non·​re·​new·​able ˌnän-ri-ˈnü-ə-bəl 

-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

Specifically, their resolution calls for a constitutional amendment to institute nonrenewable 18-year terms for new Supreme Court justices, with a new term starting every two years. —Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 9 Dec. 2024

In many cases, the electricity used to power the AI data centers today relies on nonrenewable energy sources such as coal or gas. —Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024

Doug Lewin, who publishes the conservation-minded Texas Energy and Power Newsletter, said in a recent post that adding nonrenewable power generation is not the only path to protecting the state's grid. —John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 12 June 2024

The endowment, which was established when New Mexico became a state in 1912, is funded by taxes on revenue from nonrenewable resources, mainly oil and gas reserves. —Maya Huter, NBC News, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above