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.
“Michael” might be a self-evident, self-sustaining, self-indulgent piece of PR.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
Fire Administration, potentially leading to a process known as thermal runaway, in which the battery ignites through a self-sustaining chemical reaction that is impossible to stop until it runs out on its own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026
These experts then furthered the complexity of the systems under their purview, creating a self-sustaining cycle in which ever more expertise was required to deal with ever more complexity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026
‘The beauty of biotech today versus five years ago is we have a number of examples of companies that launched products on their own and became self-sustaining.’
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 11, 2025
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.
