a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality.
one's own self.
a person's nature, character, etc..
his better self.
personal interest.
Philosophy.
the ego; that which knows, remembers, desires, suffers, etc., as contrasted with that known, remembered, etc.
the uniting principle, as a soul, underlying all subjective experience.
being the same throughout, as a color; uniform.
being of one piece with or the same material as the rest.
drapes with a self lining.
Immunology. the natural constituents of the body, which are normally not subject to attack by components of the immune system (contrasted with nonself).
Obsolete. same.
the distinct individuality or identity of a person or thing
a person's usual or typical bodily make-up or personal characteristics
she looked her old self again
rare a polite way of referring to or addressing a person (or persons), used following your, his, her, or their
one's own welfare or interests
he only thinks of self
an individual's consciousness of his own identity or being
philosophy that which is essential to an individual, esp the mind or soul in Cartesian metaphysics; the ego
a bird, animal, etc, that is a single colour throughout, esp a self-coloured pigeon
of the same colour or material See also self-coloured
a dress with a self belt
obsolete the same
of oneself or itself
self-defence
self-rule
by, to, in, due to, for, or from the self
self-employed
self-inflicted
self-respect
automatic or automatically
self-propelled
What does self- mean? Self- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “self,” in a variety of senses. Often, it is used to mean "of the self," "independent," or "automatic." In many instances, it is separated from the second element with a hyphen, as in self-government. It is often used in a variety of everyday and technical terms. Self- comes from Old English self, meaning “self.”
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English self, selfa; cognate with Dutch zelf, German selb-, Old Norse sjalfr, Gothic silba; akin to Irish féin, Latin suī, sē
Your self is your sense of who you are, deep down — your identity. When you let someone else know you well, you reveal your true self to them. If the subject of your thoughts is you, you're thinking about your self — or, alternately, yourself. There are parts of your brain that make it possible for you to think about the concept of self, and schools of philosophy devoted to exploring why people have a unique sense of self. Psychologists also study the development of the self, or the beginning of self-awareness, in children. Self comes from the Old English, in which it means "one's own person."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Their new "two component self interacting dark matter" model includes at least two kinds of dark matter particles, one heavier and one lighter.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
“The states appear to be self consciously modeling themselves on that earlier case,” Hemphill said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
At the heart of the Declaration are words that have challenged Americans for 250 years: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.”
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
As his former presidential self, Obama’s comedy game is strong.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
Or perhaps it was her own deepest self that convinced her not to quit.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
By contrast, Train SMART’s marketing emphasizes exercises on de-escalation and secure storage, topics particularly important for gun owners who are interested in self- and family defense.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2025
"Nationally, families have long raised concerns about the huge flaws of the self- assessment involved by individual trusts in the maternity incentive scheme," said Mrs Winser-Ramm.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2025
“They exist as figures to admire, due to the ways in which they amplify self- acceptance, empowerment and celebrate individuality,” she said.
From New York Times ● Jun. 30, 2023
One was asceticism, a form of self- denial that includes foregoing bodily pleasures and adopting a life of chastity, virginity, and renunciation of normal society.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
I struggled to get my voice above this self- accusing murmur.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Tribalists and traditionalists have controlled the terms of the battle, one by simplifying, the other by denying, the way privilege has shaped our compound selves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
He just gave them permission to be their true selves.
From Salon ● May 26, 2026
References to past selves and ghosts are a thread in many of her novels.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Just as musical reveries reveal our secret selves, they also point to what we share with others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
Turner cupped his hands around his, and they sat silently together for a time, feeling the warmth of the wood——stove and of the coffee thawing their frozen selves.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
