as in independence
the ability to care for one's self some people don't achieve self-reliance until they're over 30 years old

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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-reliance Over the years Philippine counter-trafficking projects have found some ways to increase financial self-reliance, for instance by starting fair trade farming projects. Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Our love for independence and self-reliance cannot help but be synchronous with loneliness. Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025 The very policies and practices that had sustained Black business districts under segregation — captive markets, enforced proximity, and a philosophy of economic self-reliance —were suddenly undermined once Black consumers could freely choose mainstream establishments. Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2025 The incident highlights the challenges of policing and ensuring safety in a temporary city of more than 70,000 people built in the isolation of Nevada's Black Rock Desert, raising questions about how the festival can balance its ethos of self-reliance with the realities of crime and public safety. Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-reliance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-reliance
Noun
  • The movement looked to achieve independence through an armed revolution.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Before long, a media holding company of the Russian state energy giant Gazprom took a majority stake in the channel, ending its independence and giving the Kremlin decisive influence over its editorial policy.
    Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Over all, Zimmerman argues, this autonomy has been a positive force.
    Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Can a single individual have complete autonomy over their life?
    Lana Lin September 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • There is little evidence that work requirements increase economic self-sufficiency among recipients of housing assistance, according to researchers at NYU.
    Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 29 Sep. 2025
  • These grants will provide crucial support and services to help thousands of Veterans on their journey back to self-sufficiency.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Self-reliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-reliance. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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