self-improvement

American  

[self-im-proov-muhnt, self-] / ˈsɛlf ɪmˈpruv mənt, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. improvement of one's mind, character, etc., through one's own efforts.

---

self-improvement British  

noun

1. the improvement of one's status, position, education, etc, by one's own efforts

---

Other Word Forms

• self-improvable
  adjective
• self-improver
  noun
• self-improving
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-improvement

First recorded in 1735–45

Explanation

The process of making yourself a better or more knowledgable person can be called self-improvement. Doing sit-ups every night and learning to speak Mandarin might be part of your new self-improvement routine. Anything you do in an attempt to improve yourself is self-improvement. Volunteering at a homeless shelter, going to college, learning to meditate — all of these things can lead to self-improvement. Often, self-improvement and self-help are used interchangeably. The improvement part of this word originally meant "making money with something," but by the 1640s it came to mean "the act of making better."

Example Sentences

Thomas said he had to learn to accept death, turning to meditation, self-improvement work and religion to cope.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

With regard to his persistent irritation, he accepts that not all feelings lead to self-improvement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

The reality TV star said six months in county jail — without cameras and her creature comforts — proved to be a period of self-improvement and empowerment.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

For instance: convenience, travel, fitness, experiences, freedom, relationships, generosity, luxury, social status and self-improvement.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 21, 2025

The gyro had widened; The Great Chain of Being had snapped like so many paper clips strung together by some drooling idiot; death, destruction, anarchy, progress, ambition, and self-improvement were to be Piers' new fate.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole