self-sustaining

[self-suh-stey-ning, self-]

adjective

1. self-supporting.

Other Word Forms

• self-sustained adjective
• self-sustainingly adverb
• self-sustainment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-sustaining¹

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

“We will have to be Athens and super-Sparta,” adapting to an “autarkic,” or self-sustaining, economy, he added.

From Los Angeles Times

Thousands of families now risk calls from debt collectors — but officials say their hands were tied: unpaid balances were straining the district’s food service fund, which is federally required to be self-sustaining.

From Salon

The Epstein saga, which seemed to be old news at the beginning of this year, is approaching a self-sustaining critical mass that will be difficult for anyone, no matter how well-connected or influential, to contain.

From BBC

Though it was set up 20 years ago with a relatively modest pot of £5m, today it is self-sustaining.

From BBC

And in that lies another interesting tension: the idea of self-sustaining pop celebrity, straddling these two worlds of DIY inventiveness and image-heavy exposure.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beneficial 
• commercial 
• cost-effective 
• effective 
• fruitful 
• good 
• lucrative 
• practical 
• productive 
• rewarding 
• successful 
• useful 
• valuable 
• worthwhile