self-realization

American  

[self-ree-uh-luh-zey-shuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlfˌri ə ləˈzeɪ ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. the fulfillment of one's potential.

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self-realization British  

noun

1. the realization or fulfilment of one's own potential or abilities

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Etymology

Origin of self-realization

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

It gets a little sentimental and a little serious in the clutch; there will be closure, self-realization and ego death.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

And while it may be dangerous to attribute specific emotions to an animal, it is fair to say that, at least on a physical level, a kind of self-realization was occurring.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2025

Trapped in this binary, Shields failed to crystallize her identity until college, and the film’s second half traces her road to self-realization thereafter.

From New York Times • Apr. 3, 2023

Maturation and self-realization like baseball development aren’t linear or on a specific timetable, particularly in the cutthroat world of professional sports.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 14, 2023

The ideal of conduct which men have followed has been one of self-realization, tempered by a broad principle of equity which has been translated into practice by means of a code of laws.

From Women as World Builders Studies in Modern Feminism by Dell, Floyd