The word 'sustainable' means maintainable or bearable.

Hence sustainable development refers to

that development which may be prolonged for a considerable period of time or which may be bearable by the system and the society.
It refers to a type of development that meets the needs of the present generation, maintains same
level of development for a longer period of time, conserves the existing resources for the future
generation so that same level of development could continue and causes very little or no damage to
the environment