self-sufficient
Americanadjective
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able to supply one's own or its own needs without external assistance.
The nation grows enough grain to be self-sufficient.
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having extreme confidence in one's own resources, powers, etc..
He was self-sufficient, and always reminded you of it.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- self-sufficiency noun
- self-sufficiently adverb
- unself-sufficiency noun
- unself-sufficient adjective
- unself-sufficiently adverb
Etymology
Origin of self-sufficient
First recorded in 1580–90
Explanation
If you take care of yourself and don't depend much on other people, you're self-sufficient. Some 20-year-olds are self-sufficient, while others still need help from their families. You can use self-sufficient to describe people who are independent financially, paying their own bills and working to support themselves, or people who are independent emotionally. It can also mean "growing enough food for its people" when you talk about a self-sufficient country or region: "They are trying to empower farmers so the country can become self-sufficient and maybe even begin to export food."
Vocabulary lists containing self-sufficient
My Side of the Mountain
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The Age of Jackson and Westward Expansion, Lessons 6–7
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Woodsong
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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.
Did growing up in DIY culture prepare you for the modern music industry, where you have to be self-sufficient with every aspect of your career?
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
He has largely been a single parent to Shy’tyra and her siblings, who need some support too, although they’re more self-sufficient.
From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026
In the long run, energy demand may shift away from Gulf oil and gas as developed countries try to become more self-sufficient.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Attwood has recently separated from her husband of three years, footballer Bradley Dack, which she says made her feel "incredibly passionate" about being self-sufficient.
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
They had decided to be self-sufficient; it seemed the safest thing to be now, and the natural way for them to live.
From "How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff
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.
