self-actualization

[self-ak-choo-uh-luh-zey-shuhn, self-ak-]

noun

Psychology.

1. the achievement of one's full potential through creativity, independence, spontaneity, and a grasp of the real world.

self-actualization

noun

1. psychol the process of establishing oneself as a whole person, able to develop one's abilities and to understand oneself

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-actualization¹

First recorded in 1935–40