find oneself
Idioms-
Become aware of what one wishes and can best do in life. For example, At last he's found himself—he really loves teaching . The same idea was sometimes put as to find one's feet , transferring a baby's new ability to stand or walk to a person becoming conscious of his or her abilities. [Late 1800s]
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Discover where one is; also, how one is feeling. For example, He suddenly found himself on the right street , or To my surprise I find myself agreeing with you . [Mid-1400s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We need to stop thinking of college as a time to find oneself and recast it as a period of intellectual development that precedes our more formative mid- to late 20s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
In early episodes, Claire’s struggles to accept and control her situation allowed viewers to imagine what it might actually feel like to find oneself 200 years in the past.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2025
While it may be an urban myth, it is common to find oneself dodging toddlers careering around on two wheels.
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2022
There is an intimate sense of longing that is interlaced within the fabric her work: a desire to feel, to experience, and to find oneself, which makes her performances so captivating.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2022
He ended by repeating that it was wonderful to find oneself “way out here” where one could, as it were, catch one's breath.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
