self-contained
adjective
self-con·tained
ˌself-kən-ˈtānd 
1
a
: complete in itself : independent
a self-contained machine
a self-contained program of study
b
: built-in
a lectern with a self-contained light fixture
2
a
: showing self-control
b
: formal and reserved in manner
Examples of self-contained in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The troubles of the lower classes are so perfectly self-contained that everything seems well and good during the wide shots we’re afforded of the train gliding through the landscape; any of the help that Amrit and Viresh might hope to find must come from their fellow passengers.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 3 July 2024
Just as the software of your laptop runs without having to keep track of all the microscale information about the electrons in the computer circuitry, so emergent phenomena are governed by macroscale rules that seem self-contained, without heed to what the component parts are doing.
—Quanta Magazine, 10 June 2024
Van Booy’s gift for language is immersive, creating a world as artfully self-contained as a snow globe.
—Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 May 2024
They're self-contained, easy to eat, don't require silverware, and just feel right when eaten by the ocean.
—Karen I. Chen, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-contained 
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 3 July 2024
Just as the software of your laptop runs without having to keep track of all the microscale information about the electrons in the computer circuitry, so emergent phenomena are governed by macroscale rules that seem self-contained, without heed to what the component parts are doing.
—Quanta Magazine, 10 June 2024
Van Booy’s gift for language is immersive, creating a world as artfully self-contained as a snow globe.
—Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 May 2024
They're self-contained, easy to eat, don't require silverware, and just feel right when eaten by the ocean.
—Karen I. Chen, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-contained
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-contained.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near self-contained
Cite this Entry
“Self-contained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-contained. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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