Definition of "nonrenewable" []

• That cannot be renewed: a nonrenewable license. (adjective)
• Of or relating to an energy source, such as oil or natural gas, or a natural resource, such as a metallic ore, that is not replaceable after it has been used. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "This is why fossil fuels are called a nonrenewable resource -- once they're gone, they're gone."
• "Counting hydropower as "nonrenewable" and limiting environmentally clean nuclear power when $4 billion has been spent for the Yucca Flats facility is counter to developing the needs of our country."
• "Yes, we know it contributes to pollution, and yes, it is "nonrenewable," and yes, we still haven't learned to use it as efficiently as we could."