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.

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self-improvement British  

noun

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

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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

Traveling while podcasting has always been a challenge for Chris Williamson, the host of the self-improvement and philosophy podcast “Modern Wisdom.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026

But if you’re willing to treat self-improvement the way you’d treat an investment—anchored in evidence, calibrated to incentives, and adjusted for your cognitive quirks—you can dramatically increase your odds of success.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 30, 2025

Seventy percent said they had issues with self-improvement media - involving toxic messaging or body shaming.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025

Emerson agreed that the education and self-improvement parts of the plan were critical for boosting income.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 2025

She is working on a thought about her bossy older sister: Carla has a tendency to lace all her compliments with calls to self-improvement.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez