self-reliant
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-reliant
First recorded in 1840–50
Vocabulary lists containing self-reliant
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.
“It’s all very self-reliant farmers and ranchers out here. We don’t want any property tax.”
From Salon ● May 3, 2026
Meanwhile, China’s leaders don’t want to be a junior partner to the West and have girded the economy to be more self-reliant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
Another potential positive: Increased demand for the country’s asset-heavy companies—shipbuilding, shipping, defense, and electric energy—in a push to boost national security and become more self-reliant.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
The charity further states that it hopes, by providing children in the foster care system with a stable, comfortable environment, it will enable them to grow into “responsible, self-reliant adults.”
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 19, 2026
A truly self-reliant person finds his weak link and strengthens it.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
