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🇨🇳Chinese Source WordCode: ZH

自力更生

Pronunciation / Transliteration: zìlì gēngshēng

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Self-reliance/ˌsɛlf.rɪˈlaɪ.əns/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #4500 frequency
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🇨🇳 Example Sentence in Chinese:

"自力更生是个人成功的关键。"

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The reliance on one's own powers and resources rather than those of others.

    "Her self-reliance allowed her to start her own business without seeking external funding."
  2. 2

    A philosophy or belief in the importance of individual independence and self-sufficiency.

    "The book promotes self-reliance as a key principle for personal growth and success."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term is a compound formed in modern English from the reflexive prefix 'self-' (derived from Old English 'self') and 'reliance' (from the verb 'rely', originating from Old French 'relier', meaning to fasten or bind, from Latin 'religare'). First prominently popularized in American philosophy during the 19th century, particularly through Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay 'Self-Reliance' (1841), it evolved to signify complete trust in one's own capabilities, judgment, and resources.

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