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• self
  self

  noun

  a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality.
• self-
  self-

  a combining form of self and variously used with the meanings “of the self ” (self-analysis ) and “by oneself or itself ” (self-appointed ); and with the meanings “to, with, toward, for, on, in oneself ” (self-complacent ), “inherent in oneself or itself ” (self-explanatory ), “independent” (self-government ), and “automatic” (self-operating ).

self

¹ American  

[self] / sɛlf /

noun

• selves
  plural

1. a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality.

   one's own self.

2. a person's nature, character, etc..

   his better self.

3. personal interest.

4. Philosophy.

   1. the ego; that which knows, remembers, desires, suffers, etc., as contrasted with that known, remembered, etc.

   2. the uniting principle, as a soul, underlying all subjective experience.

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adjective

1. being the same throughout, as a color; uniform.

2. being of one piece with or the same material as the rest.

   drapes with a self lining.

3. Immunology. the natural constituents of the body, which are normally not subject to attack by components of the immune system (contrasted with nonself).

4. Obsolete. same.

pronoun

• selves
  plural

1. myself, himself, herself, etc..

   to make a check payable to self.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to self-pollinate.

self- ² American  

1. a combining form of self and variously used with the meanings “of the self ” (self-analysis ) and “by oneself or itself ” (self-appointed ); and with the meanings “to, with, toward, for, on, in oneself ” (self-complacent ), “inherent in oneself or itself ” (self-explanatory ), “independent” (self-government ), and “automatic” (self-operating ).

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self ¹ British  

/ sɛlf /

noun

1. the distinct individuality or identity of a person or thing

2. a person's usual or typical bodily make-up or personal characteristics

   she looked her old self again

3. rare a polite way of referring to or addressing a person (or persons), used following your, his, her, or their

4. one's own welfare or interests

   he only thinks of self

5. an individual's consciousness of his own identity or being

6. philosophy that which is essential to an individual, esp the mind or soul in Cartesian metaphysics; the ego

7. a bird, animal, etc, that is a single colour throughout, esp a self-coloured pigeon

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pronoun

1. not_standard myself, yourself, etc

   seats for self and wife

adjective

1. of the same colour or material See also self-coloured

   a dress with a self belt

2. obsolete the same

self- ² British  

combining form

1. of oneself or itself

   self-defence

   self-rule

2. by, to, in, due to, for, or from the self

   self-employed

   self-inflicted

   self-respect

3. automatic or automatically

   self-propelled

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Usage

What does self- mean? Self- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “self,” in a variety of senses. Often, it is used to mean "of the self," "independent," or "automatic." In many instances, it is separated from the second element with a hyphen, as in self-government. It is often used in a variety of everyday and technical terms. Self- comes from Old English self, meaning “self.”

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• selves
  plural

Etymology

Origin of self

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English self, selfa; cognate with Dutch zelf, German selb-, Old Norse sjalfr, Gothic silba; akin to Irish féin, Latin suī, sē

Explanation

Your self is your sense of who you are, deep down — your identity. When you let someone else know you well, you reveal your true self to them. If the subject of your thoughts is you, you're thinking about your self — or, alternately, yourself. There are parts of your brain that make it possible for you to think about the concept of self, and schools of philosophy devoted to exploring why people have a unique sense of self. Psychologists also study the development of the self, or the beginning of self-awareness, in children. Self comes from the Old English, in which it means "one's own person."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self self- selves

For a jaded adult, reading children’s books can also recall the discoveries of a younger self.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

“You should be your authentic self in how you engage business.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Laura said CMN made her self conscious about how strangers might react and that, growing up as a teenager, she often wore heavy makeup and planned outfits to cover her skin.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Ohtani looked close to his normal self, even exchanging a few “gotcha” laughs with Smith, like when he induced an infield pop-up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

This is something out of my control, a decision I can’t make, and I have pinned my whole self to it working out okay.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

By contrast, Train SMART’s marketing emphasizes exercises on de-escalation and secure storage, topics particularly important for gun owners who are interested in self- and family defense.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2025

At the heart of the political conversation this week are the government's self- imposed "fiscal rules".

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2025

But “Hello Tomorrow!” suggests that deceptions, self- and otherwise, are the rocket fuel that keeps us moving through an otherwise indifferent universe.

From New York Times ● Feb. 16, 2023

In 1965 Tibet became an Autonomous Region of China, which gave it a greater degree of self- government.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

Pilar is irresponsible, self- centered, a bad seed.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Is the collective pronoun meant to be a proxy for her private and public selves?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

As the authors firmly declare, food “is entwined with every aspect of life, integral to the biology of who we are and a vital constituent of our social selves: our identity, our culture.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The original production had two younger actors looking forward to their older selves, but Cumming suggested to director Andrew Panton of Dundee Rep that he cast older actors who could play younger versions of themselves.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Our criminal records will always be searchable, so formerly incarcerated people have to be extremely careful of how we’re presenting our digital selves.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

“Would you two killers please sit your brutal selves down at the kitchen table and eat some popcorn,” Lillian said.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• character
• ego
• identity
• individuality
• myself
• person
• personality