autarky
AW-tar-kee
/ˈɔː.tɑːr.ki/
Economic independence or self-sufficiency; a national economic system that operates without foreign trade.
Refers to complete economic isolationism and total national self-reliance, operating entirely without international trade.
The story behind the word. Autarky originates from Greek 'autarkeia', built from 'autos' (self) and 'arkein' (to suffice or be strong enough). Ancient Greek philosophers, including Aristotle, discussed autarky as the ultimate ideal of city-state independence.
Word relationships
- self-sufficiency: Self-sufficiency is a general descriptive quality, whereas autarky is a formal national policy of total economic isolation.
- globalization: Globalization relies on interconnected international markets, the polar opposite of autarky.
Commonly confused with
- protectionism: Protectionism taxes imports to favor local goods, whereas autarky eliminates all international trade completely.
Word family
- autarkic (adjective): Relating to economic self-sufficiency
- autarkical (adjective): Self-sufficient in economic context
Collocations
- economic autarky
- state of autarky
- pursuit of autarky
Example sentences
- "Interwar regimes attempted to achieve national autarky, but severe resource shortages crippled their domestic economies." Economic history analysis
- "Economists compute theoretical autarky prices to measure how much a country gains from opening its borders to trade." Macroeconomic modeling
Memory hook
AUTO-KEY: Holding the key to your own auto-sufficient economy. Total economic self-sufficiency.
When not to use
Do not use for simple personal self-reliance or local business independence.
Fun facts
- North Korea's state ideology of Juche is one of the very few modern real-world attempts to maintain national autarky.
Related words
Explore more words
autonomous, self-contained, autonomy, embargo, monopoly, austerity
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