as in independence
the ability to care for one's self
the goal of the program is to help these people achieve self-subsistence and to end their dependence on government aid
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Recent Examples of self-subsistence
Pavas were often worn by jibaros, which were rural residents who worked on the island as self-subsistence farmers.
—
Edward Segarra, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Edward Segarra, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-subsistence
Noun
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The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage.—
Larry Holder,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Since then, al-Sharaa, a former leader of al-Qaida’s branch in Syria, has improved relations with Western countries and last year became the first Syrian head of state to visit Washington since Syria’s independence in 1946.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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However, this private autonomy technically leaves SpaceX’s services available to the highest bidder — which one day could include clients whose objectives conflict with America’s own.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Apr. 2026
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Less than a year after the end of Hulu’s Emmy-winning adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale, Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s sequel novel, The Testaments, has been reimagined into another eerily timely TV series — this time centered around young women fighting for their own autonomy.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-subsistence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-subsistence. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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