self-contained
self-kuhn-TAYND
/ˌself.kənˈteɪnd/
Complete and independent in itself; not needing or wanting help or social interaction.
Can describe an apartment (with its own kitchen/bath) or a person who is quiet and keeps to themselves.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'continere', meaning 'to hold together'. A self-contained person or thing 'holds itself together' without needing outside support.
Word relationships
- independent: Independent is broader; self-contained implies being a complete 'package' on one's own.
- outgoing: Outgoing implies a need for social interaction and external stimulation.
Commonly confused with
- introverted: Introverted is about where you get energy; self-contained is about being a complete, independent unit.
Word family
- contain (verb): To hold or have within.
Collocations
- self-contained apartment
- self-contained unit
- self-contained personality
Example sentences
- "The property includes a self-contained cottage that can be rented out to guests." Real Estate
- "He was a self-contained man who rarely spoke about his private life." Personality
Memory hook
A self-contained person is like a 'container' that already has everything it needs inside. Everything inside.
When not to use
Don't use if you mean 'lonely'; self-contained implies a choice or a natural state of being whole.
Fun facts
- In computer science, a 'self-contained' script is one that doesn't require external libraries to run.
Related words
Also appears in
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