What does nonviable mean?
Nonviable means incapable of surviving, succeeding, or functioning in a practical way. The word is used in biology to describe populations or organisms that cannot maintain themselves, and in business, economics, and public policy to describe companies, systems, projects, or proposals that are unlikely to succeed or continue. Saying that something is nonviable usually implies that further effort or investment would not produce a successful result, although it does not necessarily specify why. The term is more formal than plain alternatives such as unworkable or unsustainable, but it is especially useful when a decision requires a clear assessment of whether a course of action can continue. It can also carry a broader connotation of being unable to remain active, relevant, or effective over time.
adjectiveNot capable of surviving, functioning successfully, or being put into practical use. It can describe a population, business, system, or plan that is considered unsustainable or unworkable.
- Not capable of surviving or remaining viable, especially as a population, species, or biological system.
- Not capable of functioning successfully or being put into practical use, especially as a business, system, project, or plan.
"The project was deemed nonviable after the committee reviewed its costs and projected benefits."
"The habitat cannot support a nonviable population without ongoing intervention."
"The company withdrew the product after testing showed that its production model was nonviable."
Calling something nonviable is often the practical decision to stop investing time and resources in a path that cannot succeed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nonviable come from?
Nonviable was formed in the 19th century by combining the negative prefix non- with viable, which comes from French viable and ultimately Latin vivere, meaning “to live.” The same Latin root underlies vitality, vivacious, and vivacity. In English, viable originally referred chiefly to organisms capable of living, before the word was extended to systems, plans, and enterprises capable of succeeding.
Related word forms
How nonviable is actually used
The term is formal and commonly used in business, policy, biology, and sustainability contexts. It is often stronger and more categorical than merely describing something as difficult or unlikely to succeed.
Easily confused with nonviable
A viable person, organization, or plan is capable of surviving or succeeding, whereas a nonviable one is not.