self-made

American  

[self-meyd] / ˈsɛlfˈmeɪd /

adjective

1. having succeeded in life unaided.

   He is a self-made man.

2. made by oneself.

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self-made British  

adjective

1. having achieved wealth, status, etc, by one's own efforts

2. made by oneself

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Etymology

Origin of self-made

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

Are they self-made or did they inherit the team because they were the only child that liked to go duck hunting?

From The Wall Street Journal

The businesswoman built her wealth in the homemaking and lifestyle industry, becoming the USA's first self-made female billionaire.

From BBC

Marty is convinced he’s a self-made success who doesn’t need anyone’s help; the people we see him squeeze and squash would disagree.

From Los Angeles Times

Two thirds of the newest billionaires were self-made entrepreneurs, while the remaining third inherited their wealth.

From Barron's

Once again, the largest number of self-made billionaires are domiciled in the U.S., where 87 saw their wealth reach 10 figures.

From MarketWatch