as in independence
the ability to care for one's self
encouraged her children to develop self-dependence at a relatively early age a level of self-dependence rarely seen in teens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of self-dependence
As Locke put it in his essay, this was a period of renewal, of self-respect, and of self-dependence among Black people.
—
Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Feb. 2024
Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-dependence
Noun
-
The Athletic maintains full editorial independence.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Despite the change, the country remains home to the longest-running civil war in the world since gaining its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For independent, rural hospitals, the networks are an alternative to shutting down or reducing services, or to giving up local autonomy and joining a large hospital system.—
Arielle Zionts,
NPR,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Witches were no longer solely perceived as agents of Satan, but cool girls and women who had agency and autonomy over their lives.—
Taylor Crumpton,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-dependence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-dependence. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share