self-sufficiency

noun

self-suf·​fi·​cien·​cy ˌself-sə-ˈfi-shən(t)-sē 

: the quality or state of being self-sufficient

Synonyms of self-sufficiency

• independence
• autonomy
• self-reliance

Examples of self-sufficiency in a Sentence

self-sufficiency is a goal that all teenagers should work towards

Recent Examples on the Web

The supply of properties that check all these boxes — functional ranch infrastructure, winery entitlements, the land and water profile that makes genuine self-sufficiency possible — is finite in ways that new construction can’t solve. —Lindsey Harn, Fortune, 6 June 2026

Taken as such, strategic autonomy is best seen as leverage and flexibility rather than self-sufficiency. —Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 4 June 2026

Homestead communities across the state have been key to economic self-sufficiency and strongholds of Hawaiian culture and traditions. —ABC News, 3 June 2026

China’s tech self-sufficiency push is rapidly becoming a reality as companies focus on business questions that run deeper than geopolitics. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 1 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-sufficiency

• inefficiency
• insufficiency
• deficiency
• efficiency
• proficiency
• sufficiency
• immunodeficiency

Kids Definition

self-sufficiency

noun

self-suf·​fi·​cien·​cy

ˌself-sə-ˈfish-ən-sē

: the quality or state of being self-sufficient