self-sufficient

American  

[self-suh-fish-uhnt, self-] / ˈsɛlf səˈfɪʃ ənt, ˌsɛlf- /

Also self-sufficing

adjective

1. able to supply one's own or its own needs without external assistance.

   The nation grows enough grain to be self-sufficient.

2. having extreme confidence in one's own resources, powers, etc..

   He was self-sufficient, and always reminded you of it.

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self-sufficient British  

adjective

1. able to provide for or support oneself without the help of others

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Other Word Forms

• self-sufficiency
  noun
• unself-sufficiency
  noun
• unself-sufficient
  adjective
• self-sufficiently
  adverb
• unself-sufficiently
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of self-sufficient

First recorded in 1580–90

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Explanation

If you take care of yourself and don't depend much on other people, you're self-sufficient. Some 20-year-olds are self-sufficient, while others still need help from their families. You can use self-sufficient to describe people who are independent financially, paying their own bills and working to support themselves, or people who are independent emotionally. It can also mean "growing enough food for its people" when you talk about a self-sufficient country or region: "They are trying to empower farmers so the country can become self-sufficient and maybe even begin to export food."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-sufficient

The plastic home didn’t remake housing; the automated kitchen didn’t free women from domestic work; the self-sufficient home gave way to new forms of reliance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

"In general, the United States of America has nothing that it can do that had not done before," Laylaz said, noting years of isolation had made Iran's economy largely self-sufficient.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

For George, his children must be able to be self-sufficient, endlessly encouraging them to watch him fix things around the house.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

One of the other triggers for the concerns has been a reported breakthrough in the manufacturing process by a Chinese company, potentially making China more self-sufficient in chip design and production.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Then there is the example of the religious group known as the Hutterites, who for hundreds of years have lived in self-sufficient agricultural colonies in Europe and, since the early twentieth century, in North America.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

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Related Words

• competent
• confident
• efficient
• self-supporting
• self-sustaining

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