Durable means lasting a long time under use. Durable materials, a durable finish, durable goods.
It is about resisting wear rather than resisting a single blow — a durable coat survives years, a tough one survives a snag — and the distinction matters when buying anything. In economics, durable goods are those expected to last years, and orders for them are watched as an indicator. Note endure, from the same Latin.
1adjectivedurableLasting a long time under use.
“Children's toys need to be durable enough to survive being thrown around.”
synonyms: hard-wearing, lasting
durable is a quality of lasting.
Latin durabilis comes from durare, to last, from durus, hard. Endure, duration and during come from the same lasting.
Latin
dūrābilis — lasting, permanent
Old French
durable
Middle English
durable
English, today
durable
Built from
From Middle English durable, from Old French durable, from Latin dūrābilis (“lasting, permanent”), from dūrō (“harden, make hard”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA