self-sustaining
adjective
self-sus·tain·ing
ˌself-sə-ˈstā-niŋ 
1
: maintaining or able to maintain oneself or itself by independent effort
a self-sustaining community
2
: maintaining or able to maintain itself once commenced
a self-sustaining nuclear reaction
Examples of self-sustaining in a Sentence
with its own farm, the estate was largely self-sustaining
Recent Examples on the Web
Xeriscapes eliminate the need for irrigation because self-sustaining plants can be added.
—
Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
Vegetable gardens and beehives—producing distinctive saltmarsh honey—add to the island’s self-sustaining appeal.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026
Artistic efforts should be self-sustaining as patrons finance them, not continually maintained by government subsidies.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Antares is currently in the final phase of the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, with a goal to achieve criticality—a stable, self-sustaining nuclear fission reaction—before July 4, 2026.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
Leading to a self-sustaining economic loop where revenue generated from global-facing media products is reinvested directly into local wages, taxes, and services, fostering a stable foundation for multi-generational upward mobility.
—Stephanie Tharpe, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Billionaire Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the vision of paving the way to create a self-sustaining colony on the Red Planet.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
There’s no way to know which push was most important in the flywheel reaching this self-sustaining velocity.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
However, bacterial cells typically limit their production to self-sustaining levels.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
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Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
Vegetable gardens and beehives—producing distinctive saltmarsh honey—add to the island’s self-sustaining appeal.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026
Artistic efforts should be self-sustaining as patrons finance them, not continually maintained by government subsidies.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Antares is currently in the final phase of the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, with a goal to achieve criticality—a stable, self-sustaining nuclear fission reaction—before July 4, 2026.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
Leading to a self-sustaining economic loop where revenue generated from global-facing media products is reinvested directly into local wages, taxes, and services, fostering a stable foundation for multi-generational upward mobility.
—Stephanie Tharpe, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Billionaire Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the vision of paving the way to create a self-sustaining colony on the Red Planet.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
There’s no way to know which push was most important in the flywheel reaching this self-sustaining velocity.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
However, bacterial cells typically limit their production to self-sustaining levels.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-sustaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-sustaining. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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