self-sufficient

adjective

self-suf·​fi·​cient ˌself-sə-ˈfi-shənt How to pronounce self-sufficient (audio)
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
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.
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

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-sufficient was in 1596

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Cite this Entry

“Self-sufficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-sufficient. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

self-sufficient

adjective
self-suf·​fi·​cient
ˌself-sə-ˈfish-ənt
: able to take care of oneself without outside help : independent

More from Merriam-Webster on self-sufficient

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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