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
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Recent Examples of self-reliance
Living in such isolation has taught Wendy about self-reliance, but also about the unique warmth of the rural Mexican community.
—
Ashley Vega, People.com, 22 May 2025
Research reveals how traditional masculine norms—like emotional stoicism, self-reliance and achievement orientation—directly conflict with practices that enhance leadership effectiveness.
—Anna Barnhill, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
The Context Cats are touted by some as excellent pets due to their self-reliance, able to eat, hunt and use the bathroom on their own.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
Putin has adopted autarkic self-reliance and other ideas that appear to draw on North Korea’s Juche ideology—the doctrine formulated by Kim Jong Il in 1982 that seeks to foreground national economic and military self-reliance.
—Andrei Yakovlev, Foreign Affairs, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-reliance
Ashley Vega, People.com, 22 May 2025
Research reveals how traditional masculine norms—like emotional stoicism, self-reliance and achievement orientation—directly conflict with practices that enhance leadership effectiveness.
—Anna Barnhill, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
The Context Cats are touted by some as excellent pets due to their self-reliance, able to eat, hunt and use the bathroom on their own.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
Putin has adopted autarkic self-reliance and other ideas that appear to draw on North Korea’s Juche ideology—the doctrine formulated by Kim Jong Il in 1982 that seeks to foreground national economic and military self-reliance.
—Andrei Yakovlev, Foreign Affairs, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-reliance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-reliance
Noun
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Mossad leadership has in past decades made direct contact with Iraqi Kurdish officials, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the first and potentially only world leader to support the KRG's independence bid in 2017, prompting further regional backlash.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
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The region’s hip-hop culture is known for its independence and insular spirit born of a combination of pimp culture, Black Panther ideology, and funk music.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
30 May 2025
Noun
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The study's authors and outside experts point to the job-demand-control model—a theory that suggests autonomy (control over tasks and schedules) buffers against job stress and its physiological effects.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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In January 2022, Dow spoke candidly with CBS This Morning about how childhood stardom had led him to feel a lack of autonomy.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Enhancing its self-sufficiency, Strum Island is planted with numerous fruits and veggies.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
5 June 2025
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Men, especially older men, have been raised in an era of self-sufficiency, preventing them from seeking help.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-reliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-reliance. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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