autarky

American  

[aw-tahr-kee] / ˈɔ tɑr ki /

Or autarchy

noun

plural

autarkies

1. the condition of self-sufficiency, especially economic, as applied to a nation.

2. a national policy of economic independence.

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autarky British  

/ ˈɔːtɑːkɪ /

noun

1. (esp of a political unit) a system or policy of economic self-sufficiency aimed at removing the need for imports

2. an economically self-sufficient country

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Other Word Forms

• autarkic adjective
• autarkical adjective
• autarkically adverb
• autarkist noun

Etymology

Origin of autarky

First recorded in 1610–20; from Greek autárkeia, “self-sufficiency,” equivalent to aut- aut- + arke-, stem of arkeîn “to be strong enough, suffice” + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

That is autarky, and I have to say again, Economics 101.

From Slate • Nov. 10, 2025

But she warns of the damaging spillover impacts on less-developed nations of attempts at autarky.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2022

But this kind of autarky has a price -- deepening isolation from the world economy, markets and investment, he noted.

From Reuters • Feb. 25, 2022

The nation is more porous to outside influences than can suit the regime, which has a despotism’s normal preference for intellectual autarky.

From Washington Post • May 11, 2018

Successive governments promoted autarky, the Hindi language and equidistance between the Western and Soviet blocs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2013