self-reliant

adjective

self-re·​li·​ant ˌself-ri-ˈlī-ənt How to pronounce self-reliant (audio)
: having confidence in and exercising one's own powers or judgment

Examples of self-reliant in a Sentence

a surprisingly calm and self-reliant child
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In Putin’s current calculus, the specter of a sovereign, self-reliant Ukraine poses a far graver threat to Russia than the more distant prospect of economic degradation. Alexandra Prokopenko, Foreign Affairs, 21 Jan. 2025 One of those kids, Estrella (Paola Lara), joins a gang of self-reliant boys led by the no-nonsense El Shine (Juan Ramón López) in order to fight back. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025 The brash, self-determining, self-reliant figure Hurston conjures up as the prototype of the Jew is Hurston herself, a woman who would not let others tell her how to live. Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025 With little money and food to buy, Gogi needed to be self-reliant—classical methods guaranteed a harvest. Kurt Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for self-reliant 

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-reliant was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near self-reliant

Cite this Entry

“Self-reliant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-reliant. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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