self-sufficient

American  

[self-suh-fish-uhnt, self-] / ˈsɛlf səˈfɪʃ ənt, ˌsɛlf- /

Also self-sufficing

adjective

1. able to supply one's own or its own needs without external assistance.

   The nation grows enough grain to be self-sufficient.

2. having extreme confidence in one's own resources, powers, etc..

   He was self-sufficient, and always reminded you of it.

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self-sufficient British  

adjective

1. able to provide for or support oneself without the help of others

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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."

Example Sentences

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

While brusque and self-sufficient, Tereza starts the film as the head-down, dutiful sort.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

"It assumes," says Diss, "that parents will bridge the monetary gap. It fails to factor in an effective way of exiting unemployment and entering the world of work as a self-sufficient adult."

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

The industry source told AFP that the need to import raw materials, the high energy costs and limited infrastructure mean the country cannot be entirely self-sufficient in medicine production.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

Then there is the example of the religious group known as the Hutterites, who for hundreds of years have lived in self-sufficient agricultural colonies in Europe and, since the early twentieth century, in North America.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• competent
• confident
• efficient
• self-supporting
• self-sustaining