self-contained
Americanadjective
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containing in oneself or itself all that is necessary; independent.
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reserved or uncommunicative.
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self-controlled or self-possessed.
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(of a machine or mechanism) complete in itself.
adjective
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containing within itself all parts necessary for completeness
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(of a flat) having its own kitchen, bathroom, and lavatory not shared by others and usually having its own entrance
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able or tending to keep one's feelings, thoughts, etc, to oneself; reserved
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able to control one's feelings or emotions in the presence of others
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-contained
First recorded in 1585–95
Vocabulary lists containing self-contained
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.
"The self-contained community survived for several thousand years, but with some kind of peaceful situation -- unlike the present day's disturbing situation, where everyone is keen to 'glorify' themselves by seeing the Sentinelese."
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
“The Devil Wears Prada” was and is the perfect example of a self-contained story, built by the studio machine but never intended to keep the apparatus running.
From Salon • May 1, 2026
The Metropolitan State Hospital opened in Norwalk in 1916, a self-contained facility complete with its own farm that treated people with mental illness.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
A detached four-car garage, accessed via a sweeping motorcourt, completes the property’s self-contained layout.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
Despite the multiple vantage points and implausible bird’s-eye view, the image works because it constitutes a self-contained reality.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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.
