Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Constituting a complete and independent unit in and of itself.
- adjective Not dependent on others; self-sufficient.
- adjective Keeping to oneself; reserved.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Contained or wrapped up in one's self; reserved; not sympathetic or communicative.
- Having an entrance for itself, and not approached by an entrance or stair common to others: as, a self-contained house.
- Complete in itself: as, a self-contained motor.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Having self-control; reserved; uncommunicative; wholly engrossed in one's self.
- adjective (Mach.) Having all the essential working parts connected by a bedplate or framework, or contained in a case, etc., so that mutual relations of the parts do not depend upon fastening outside of the machine itself.
- adjective A steam engine and boiler combined and fastened together; a portable steam engine.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Not requiring external or additional
support ; complete in itself.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective constituting a complete and independent unit in and of itself
- adjective in full control of your faculties
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus is acceptable in all references.
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The acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus is acceptable in all references.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart—that is to say, a self-contained but slightly smug little kid called Wolfie—plays second fiddle to his older sister in René Féret's beguiling celebration, in French with English subtitles, of the family's other prodigy.
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The state also cited Cobalt's miners for failing to wear their air packs, called self-contained self-rescuers, and for failing to have a cache of the devices within reach.
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On his own, Emeralds member Mark McGuire's looped guitar work can be incredibly self-contained, which is why this collaboration with Trouble Books, the husband and wife duo of Keith Freund and Linda Lejsovka, is surprisingly, well, collaborative.
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Few people who use the word readily register the fact that its letters initially stood for words: self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.
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Few people who use the word readily register the fact that its letters initially stood for words: self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.
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He made the lower level into a self-contained guest unit with two bedrooms and a kitchen.
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And that language is no longer fully understood in a time when decision-making is monopolized by administrators overseeing self-contained bureaucracies.
Feisal G. Mohamed: Inside The U Of I Law School's Book-Cooking Scandal
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And that language is no longer fully understood in a time when decision-making is monopolized by administrators overseeing self-contained bureaucracies.
Feisal G. Mohamed: Inside The U Of I Law School's Book-Cooking Scandal
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