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autarkic

autarkic

9.9
A country or economy that makes what it needs and does not rely on imports
  • adjective
  • /ɔːˈtɑrkɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : autárquico
  • In order to become more self-reliant, the country adopted an autarkic economic policy that minimized imports.
  • autarkic strategy
  • autarkic economy

Examples

  • Politically, the Indian government has taken an increasingly critical view of its earlier statist and autarkic strategies.

    Academic text (1997)
  • After the Second World War, Eastern European countries sought to develop fairly autarkic industrialized economies.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Starting with the New Industrial Policy Statement of 1991, a series of measures have gradually altered the earlier dirigiste and autarkic strategy.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The internationalization of U.S. defense production and military technology stood in sharp contrast with the autarkic production of the Soviet Union, which contributed to a technological gap.

    Academic text (2008)
  • In this age of advanced weaponry and global interconnection, an autarkic security strategy is an unattractive alternative to a system of alliances.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Spain and Portugal had largely closed, autarkic, corporatist, and mercantilist or statist economic systems until the mid-1950s.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Hong Kong was no longer a relatively autarkic island whose economic fortune rested primarily on Western markets and on linkages with Asian countries other than the PRC.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Hong Kong's economic success as an autarkic island relatively insulated from the Chinese mainland was undermined even before the Sino-British negotiations of 1982.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Indeed, I believe Mexico views NAFTA as a vehicle for better integrating its formerly autarkic economy into the global system; more efficient patterns of trade and investment with the United States and Canada will strengthen Mexico's ties with a competitive world economy, not weaken them.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Additionally, policymakers believed that advancing the international economic system and enlarging the capitalist trading bloc provided a bulwark against autarkic economic practices that many viewed as significant causes of the Great Depression and World War II.

    Academic text (2013)

Synonyms

self-sufficient
vsautarkic
33 3.9

Can live without help from other people

applies specifically to national economies not needing imports
self-sustaining
vsautarkic
10 5.7

Able to keep working without help from others

concerns economic systems that avoid importing goods from other countries
self-supporting
vsautarkic
3 3.9

Has enough money to live without help from others

describes national production replacing imports rather than only finance
autarkical
vsautarkic
  • Specialized
9.9

Economically self-sufficient without relying on imports

is identical in meaning but is an alternative adjective form
autarchic
vsautarkic
  • Formal
9.9

A country that is politically or economically independent and meets its own needs

focuses only on economic independence and not relying on imports
self-sufficing
vsautarkic
  • Archaic
7.4

Able to provide for yourself without help from others

refers to a country's economic independence from imported goods

Antonyms

182 2.8

Relying on someone else for help or support

How Self-Sufficient

autarkic
  • Specialized
9.9
self-reliant
13 4.5

Surface Forms

autarkic positive
autarkical positive

Morphology

autarkic = autarky (semi-transparent) = autarky + ic

The adjective is a straightforward adjectival formation from 'autarky' with '-ic', but both words are relatively rare and of Greek origin so learners may not readily recognise the base.

Etymology

The word autarkic comes from Greek parts auto- meaning 'self' and -arkos meaning 'enough', so it means 'self-enough'. Like automatic and autonomy, which use auto- for 'self', autarkic describes a country or economy that tries to be self-sufficient and not rely on imports.