self-sustaining
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-sustaining
First recorded in 1835–45
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Compared with the moguls who started companies during China’s go-go years, like Alibaba’s Jack Ma, many solo entrepreneurs are just looking to live cheaply and be self-sustaining.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
For years, many researchers believed that the brain's specialized immune cells, known as microglia, were established at birth and remained a self-sustaining population throughout life.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
He said the blaze was "self-sustaining" and changing direction, with the fire moving east towards Bordeaux on Friday evening.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The taco stand about 100 yards off had its normal self-sustaining line.
From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2026
It would have lacked the energy to sustain itself under normal conditions, however, the fission bomb provides it with all the energy it requires to grow and become self-sustaining.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
