self-sufficiency

self-sufficiency — noun

1. the situation where a person, community, or country can produce or obtain all th

1.nounB2
Definition

the situation where a person, community, or country can produce or obtain all the food, energy, and other things they need without help from outside

Example

After the war, the government focused on achieving food self-sufficiency through better farming methods.

collocation: food self-sufficiency

The island nation has almost complete energy self-sufficiency thanks to its hydroelectric dams.

collocation: energy self-sufficiency

Common collocations
  • food self-sufficiency
  • energy self-sufficiency
  • economic self-sufficiency
  • achieve self-sufficiency
  • move toward self-sufficiency
Synonyms
  • independence

    broader term that includes political freedom; self-sufficiency focuses on material needs

  • self-reliance

    similar but stresses individual resourcefulness; often overlaps with sense 2

  • autarky

    technical economic term for a country that aims to be completely self-sufficient; formal and rare

Antonyms

Usage Note

Common in discussions of national economic policy, farming, and resource management. Frequently modifies nouns such as 'food,' 'energy,' and 'economic.'

Common Mistakes

The country achieved self-sufficiency of oil.
The country achieved self-sufficiency in oil.
the correct preposition is 'in,' not 'of.'

2. the ability to meet your own needs and manage your own emotions and problems, ra

2.nounB2
Definition

the ability to meet your own needs and manage your own emotions and problems, rather than depending on other people for support or approval

Example

After living alone for a year, Harper developed a strong sense of self-sufficiency.

collocation: sense of self-sufficiency

Learning to cook and budget helped Amani build self-sufficiency before leaving for university.

collocation: build self-sufficiency

Common collocations
  • emotional self-sufficiency
  • personal self-sufficiency
  • sense of self-sufficiency
  • build self-sufficiency
  • develop self-sufficiency
Synonyms
  • independence

    broader and more neutral; can refer to age, relationship status, or nationality

  • self-reliance

    nearly interchangeable in personal contexts; leans slightly toward practical skills

  • autonomy

    emphasizes the right to make one's own choices; more formal and abstract

Antonyms
  • dependence

    needing others for emotional or practical support

Usage Note

Describes an individual's emotional and practical independence. Overlaps with 'independence' but emphasizes inner resourcefulness — making one's own decisions and regulating one's own emotions — rather than simply freedom from outside control.

Common Mistakes

Her self-sufficiency means she doesn't care about anyone.
Her self-sufficiency means she can handle things on her own but still cares deeply about others.
self-sufficiency is about capability, not coldness or isolation.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and independence form a closely related set, while autarky is a narrower technical term. Self-sufficiency stresses the ability to provide everything one needs without outside help — it is often used for countries or communities in economic contexts. Self-reliance emphasizes individual resourcefulness and trust in one's own abilities; it sounds more personal and is common in advice about character development. Independence is the broadest of the three, covering political freedom, financial autonomy, and personal choice. A country can be politically independent (free from colonial rule) while still lacking self-sufficiency in food production. Autarky, from Greek 'self-sufficiency,' is an economics term for a closed economy that tries to produce everything domestically — it carries a slightly idealistic or historical tone. For everyday use, 'self-sufficiency' is best when you mean material provision, and 'self-reliance' when you mean personal capability.

self-sufficiency ↗self-reliance ↗independence ↗autarky

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • self-sufficiency rate
  • path to self-sufficiency
  • move toward self-sufficiency

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinEnglish

Formed by combining 'self' (from Old English 'self,' meaning the same person or thing) with 'sufficiency' (from Latin 'sufficientia,' meaning enoughness). The compound 'self-sufficient' first appeared in the 1500s, and the noun 'self-sufficiency' followed soon after. The word originally carried a practical economic sense and later gained a personal, emotional meaning in the 1900s.