self-support

[self-suh-pawrt, -pohrt, self-]

noun

1. the supporting or maintaining of oneself or itself without reliance on outside aid.

Other Word Forms

• self-supported adjective
• self-supportedness noun
• self-supporting adjective
• self-supportingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-support¹

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

In the meantime, McMurtry has launched a free web-based app for athletes to find self-support strategies and define how they best communicate and absorb information.

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Just a few days ago, the Heritage Foundation contended that extending the credit would “undermine the economy, self-support, social well-being, and upward mobility.”

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“Capability of self-support,” Oliver wrote, “or sufficient assets shall be one of the requirements for acceptance.”

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The current three types of alimony are rehabilitative, which supports a spouse who left the workforce to care for children or otherwise support the home to help them return to work; reimbursement, which relates to the economic sacrifices made by one spouse during the marriage that directly enhance the future earning capacity of the other; and traditional, which pays for life or for as long as a dependent spouse is incapable of self-support.

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"That's why it's critical we make that support available in GP surgeries and we've given huge support to online provision to allow people to self-support," she added.

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Related Words

• autonomy 
• independence 
• self-reliance