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
To find oneself in just the right place at just the right time may be awe-inducing all by itself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2024
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
“To leave rehearsals and find oneself in front of a mountain and surrounded by greenery in five minutes is extremely nourishing,” she said.
From New York Times ● Aug. 12, 2022
It was no crime to find oneself attracted to another, she wrote, or to believe what one felt was love.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
