self-contained
Americanadjective
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containing in oneself or itself all that is necessary; independent.
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reserved or uncommunicative.
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self-controlled or self-possessed.
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(of a machine or mechanism) complete in itself.
adjective
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containing within itself all parts necessary for completeness
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(of a flat) having its own kitchen, bathroom, and lavatory not shared by others and usually having its own entrance
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able or tending to keep one's feelings, thoughts, etc, to oneself; reserved
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able to control one's feelings or emotions in the presence of others
Other Word Forms
- self-containedly adverb
- self-containedness noun
Etymology
Origin of self-contained
First recorded in 1585–95
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.
A detached four-car garage, accessed via a sweeping motorcourt, completes the property’s self-contained layout.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
Nintendo games, by contrast, tend to be self-contained.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
Current owner and entrepreneur Jamie Waller said it "offers something truly rare – a self-contained island retreat located in one of England's most desirable riverside settings".
From BBC • Oct. 21, 2025
The Milky Way today is a mostly self-contained system, with little material entering or leaving.
From Science Daily • Oct. 18, 2025
Agent Burger then confronted Joe, who, in the agent’s words, was “very self-contained, sullen and wicked appearing.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
