as in independent
able to take care of oneself or itself without outside help
the college student worked nights so that he would be self-sufficient
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Recent Examples of self-sufficient
The local artists are self-sufficient.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2025
Today, as the list of skills required for self-sufficient financial citizenship has ballooned, some better-off families have taken allowances even further—and a new group of apps and games has popped up to help.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2025
China wants to become technologically self-sufficient and no amount of US policy will change that.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 9 Dec. 2025
The broader the range of usable plant and aquatic species, the more resilient – and self-sufficient – the system becomes.
—New Atlas, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-sufficient
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2025
Today, as the list of skills required for self-sufficient financial citizenship has ballooned, some better-off families have taken allowances even further—and a new group of apps and games has popped up to help.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2025
China wants to become technologically self-sufficient and no amount of US policy will change that.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 9 Dec. 2025
The broader the range of usable plant and aquatic species, the more resilient – and self-sufficient – the system becomes.
—New Atlas, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-sufficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-sufficient
independent
Adjective
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Compute, sensors, steering, braking, and charging systems are all integrated into a unified autonomy stack rather than operating as independent subsystems.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Camera Cinemas — the independent outfit led by Jack NyBlom, Jim Zuur and Dennis Skaggs — came in, renovated and added four auditoriums and reopened in July 2002 with a combo of first-run blockbusters and independent movies.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-sufficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-sufficient. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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