Autarchie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A system of government or economy in which a state or entity is completely self-governing and self-sufficient, requiring no external trade or dependence on other powers
2. A political or economic system where a nation or entity maintains complete independence and self-sufficiency without relying on external trade or foreign powers
3. The principle or practice of a state achieving total autonomy by producing all necessary goods internally and refusing economic or political dependence on others

Etymology: "Autarchie" is simply an older spelling of "autarchy," and it carries the Greek idea of ruling oneself. Its root "aut-" means "self" and "árkhō" means "to rule or govern," so the Greek word "aútarkhos" described someone with absolute authority. The term passed through Medieval Latin "autarchia" and into English with that original sense of sovereign power, which is why the modern meaning of complete self-sufficiency still feels like a form of independence. The surprising twist is how closely the word stayed tied to politics. Its earliest sense was not about economics or personal self-reliance but about absolute rule, essentially autocracy. The shift toward the broader idea of self-sufficiency came later, as the notion of ruling oneself expanded into being able to provide for oneself without outside help.

Synonyms: self-sufficiency

Antonyms: dependence