durable

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 10, 2024 is: durable \DUR-uh-bul\ adjective Durable describes people or things that last, or remain strong and in good condition over a long period of time. It is often used figuratively, as in "a durable athlete." // The fabric was durable enough to withstand chewing from the family dog. // She is one of Hollywood's most durable stars. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/durable) Examples: "California proposed banning single-use cups at chain restaurants for dine-in customers, building upon its plastic straw ban, mandated phase-out of virgin plastic use, and proposal to ban plastic retail bags. Under SB 1167 ... chain restaurants instead would be required to provide dine-in customers with reusable drinking vessels that are 'a durable cup, mug, or glass containing hot or cold liquids that is cleaned and reused by the food service facility.'" — The Black Chronicle, 21 Feb. 2024 Did you know? Something durable lasts a long time, so it's apt that durable comes to us (via Anglo-French) from the Latin verb durare, meaning "to last." Other descendants of durare in English include [during](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/during), [endure](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/endure), and [duration](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duration), all of which concern things lasting in one way or another. Durable even has a near synonym in the much rarer [perdurable](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perdurable), which combines durare with the prefix [per-](https://bit.ly/3xWr0dN) (meaning "throughout") to create a word that can mean "lasting a very long time or indefinitely" or "eternal."