self-reliance

[ self-ri-lahy-uhns, self- ]

noun

1. reliance on oneself or one's own powers, resources, etc.

self-reliance

noun

1. reliance on one's own abilities, decisions, etc

“Self-Reliance”

1. (1841) An essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson that advises the reader to “Trust thyself” and argues that “whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.” It is the source of several well-known epigrams , such as “To be great is to be misunderstood” and “ A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds .”

Derived Forms

• ˌself-reˈliant, adjective
• ˌself-reˈliantly, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-reliance¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Related Words

• autonomy
• self-determination
• self-government
• self-rule
• self-sufficiency
• sovereignty