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
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.
And considering that in “Bottoms” or “Bodies Bodies Bodies” you often were the outrageous character, what has it been like for you to play this character that’s a little more self-contained?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Within the guidance, it was recommended that gender neutral toilets or changing rooms should have self-contained lockable areas with floor-to-ceiling walls and wash basins.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
"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
Agent Burger then confronted Joe, who, in the agent’s words, was “very self-contained, sullen and wicked appearing.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
