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
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-sufficient
Alongside the structural transformation, ‘The Farmhouse’ will attempt a paddock-to-plate lifestyle, developing a greenhouse to grow organic vegetables, fruit orchards, a luxury chicken coop, bee hives, and a focus on sustainable, self-sufficient living.
—
Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026
The new big rig essentially picks up where those two leave off, giving restless travelers a vessel for achieving their most ambitious dream adventures – an off-road RV that's bigger, more capable and more self-sufficient than anything Winnebago offers currently, or has sold previously.
—C.c. Weiss
may 17, New Atlas, 17 May 2026
This is one reason why a partner of someone with avoidant attachment may perceive their partner as emotionally unavailable, overly self-sufficient, detached or distant or resistant to commitment.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Securing a high-suction hybrid with a fully self-sufficient dock usually requires a thousand-dollar budget, but this Walmart deal brings elite automation into the midrange bracket.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-sufficient
Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026
The new big rig essentially picks up where those two leave off, giving restless travelers a vessel for achieving their most ambitious dream adventures – an off-road RV that's bigger, more capable and more self-sufficient than anything Winnebago offers currently, or has sold previously.
—C.c. Weiss
may 17, New Atlas, 17 May 2026
This is one reason why a partner of someone with avoidant attachment may perceive their partner as emotionally unavailable, overly self-sufficient, detached or distant or resistant to commitment.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Securing a high-suction hybrid with a fully self-sufficient dock usually requires a thousand-dollar budget, but this Walmart deal brings elite automation into the midrange bracket.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-sufficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-sufficient
independent
Adjective
-
Production was structured along radically independent lines.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
-
Aside from best film, Sivaci won best director while Erdener shared best actress prize with Italian actress Greta Scarano for her performance in social romcom Piccolo Miracolo, as a fiercely independent blind woman who finds love in an unaccepted place.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-sufficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-sufficient. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
