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Synonyms

self-sustaining

American  
[self-suh-stay-ning, self-] / ˈsɛlf səˈsteɪ nɪŋ, ˌsɛlf- /

adjective

  1. self-supporting.


Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of self-sustaining

First recorded in 1835–45


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.

See Examples For:

The move could be a step towards Musk's mission to build a self-sustaining city on Mars - a vision that has invited sceptics but also plenty of backers.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

While the German economy is slowly emerging from the stagnation of recent years, that recovery isn’t yet self-sustaining, ZEW President Achim Wambach said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

For now, the Vienna team's achievement demonstrates that a long-pursued scientific concept can operate as a self-sustaining timekeeping system.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

Lithium-ion battery fires are challenging to combat as excessive heat inside a battery creates a self-sustaining chemical reaction called thermal runaway that can then easily spread to adjacent batteries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

“When they come to rescue us, they will find us with clean, jungle-forward, fashionable huts and a self-sustaining ecosystem. We will be the Miss Teen Dreamers they write about in history books,” Taylor said.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

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