self-sufficient
adjective
self-suf·fi·cient
ˌself-sə-ˈfi-shənt 
1
: able to maintain oneself or itself without outside aid : capable of providing for one's own needs
a self-sufficient farm
2
: having an extreme confidence in one's own ability or worth : haughty, overbearing
Examples of self-sufficient in a Sentence
the college student worked nights so that he would be self-sufficient
Recent Examples on the Web
The home is self-sufficient thanks to solar panels that generate three times its energy needs with the surplus going back into the local grid.
—
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
At its peak, Eloise was a self-sufficient community spanning 900 acres with over 70 buildings.
—Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 8 Oct. 2025
He’s lived in self-sufficient solitude in the woods of Northern England for decades, tending to his psychic wounds.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
These subsidies were cunning, part of a decades-long effort to keep alive the myths that offshore wind energy is nearly self-sufficient and generates increasingly inexpensive electricity.
—Craig Rucker, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-sufficient
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
At its peak, Eloise was a self-sufficient community spanning 900 acres with over 70 buildings.
—Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 8 Oct. 2025
He’s lived in self-sufficient solitude in the woods of Northern England for decades, tending to his psychic wounds.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
These subsidies were cunning, part of a decades-long effort to keep alive the myths that offshore wind energy is nearly self-sufficient and generates increasingly inexpensive electricity.
—Craig Rucker, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-sufficient
Cite this Entry
“Self-sufficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-sufficient. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share