self-reliance

[self-ri-lahy-uhns, self-]

noun

1. reliance on oneself or one's own powers, resources, etc.

self-reliance

noun

1. reliance on one's own abilities, decisions, etc

“Self-Reliance”

1. (1841) An essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson that advises the reader to “Trust thyself” and argues that “whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.” It is the source of several well-known epigrams, such as “To be great is to be misunderstood” and “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”

Other Word Forms

• self-reliant adjective
• self-reliantly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-reliance¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

In a speech on Friday, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde stressed self-reliance and said that the world that globalization built is “disappearing.”

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Beijing often expresses a desire for tech self-reliance, though it hasn’t yet focused much on exporting its best offerings.

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If you think about Europe’s push for self-reliance in the coming years, deeper capital markets are going to be a part of that.

Read more on Barron's

When President John F. Kennedy urged Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” he appealed to a spirit of self-reliance and initiative.

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At a key meeting of the Communist Party last month, China's leaders set the goal of accelerating "high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement" until 2030.

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Related Words

• autonomy 
• self-determination 
• self-government 
• self-rule 
• self-sufficiency www.thesaurus.com
• sovereignty