self-reliant
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-reliant
First recorded in 1840–50
Vocabulary lists containing self-reliant
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.
China’s earlier efforts to build a self-reliant domestic chip industry had been marred by corruption and hobbled by bureaucratic mandates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"Africa is succeeding. It's the youngest continent in the world… and needs investment to become more self-reliant," he said on Monday, adding that this would create some 250,000 jobs in Africa, and in France.
From BBC ● May 12, 2026
“It’s all very self-reliant farmers and ranchers out here. We don’t want any property tax.”
From Salon ● May 3, 2026
Another potential positive: Increased demand for the country’s asset-heavy companies—shipbuilding, shipping, defense, and electric energy—in a push to boost national security and become more self-reliant.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
I want to be a self-reliant person, now and forever.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
