self-reliant
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- self-reliantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of self-reliant
First recorded in 1840–50
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.
"If Europe wants to get invested in nuclear or renewable energies with the aim of being more self-reliant and energy secure, that will take time."
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
These feats help lay the groundwork for its transition into a more self-reliant economy and efforts to rebuild consumer confidence.
From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026
"This is a self-reliant character who outwits those trying to exploit her with silent grit and steely determination. Momin slipped into this feminist folklore with quiet understanding."
From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026
Kyiv also wants to become more self-reliant through domestically produced weapons that will also help rationalize the hodgepodge of donated Western equipment it currently uses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025
His childhood illness had helped to make him both self-reliant and something of a dreamer, who loved his creature comforts.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
