self-respect

American  

[self-ri-spekt, self-] / ˈsɛlf rɪˈspɛkt, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. proper esteem or regard for the dignity of one's character.

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self-respect British  

noun

1. a proper sense of one's own dignity and integrity

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Other Word Forms

• self-respectful adjective
• self-respecting adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-respect

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

But he also lives for “the moment an audience will abandon its dignity and its self-respect” and laugh.

From Los Angeles Times

We found ourselves talking to our daughters about handling such interactions with self-respect, dignity and empathy—and avoiding their unhealthy opposites.

From The Wall Street Journal

And I don’t think that they understood self-respect because I don’t think they experienced it before.

From Los Angeles Times

In all of this, Mr. Easterly is firm in his belief that the way forward lies in a marriage of market economics and attention to self-respect.

From The Wall Street Journal

Theoretically, the result would be both well-earning livelihoods and self-respect for people who had pulled themselves out of poverty.

From Salon

Related Words

• dignity
• pride
• self-assurance
• self-confidence
• self-esteem
• self-worth