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Synonyms

self-abnegation

American  
[self-ab-ni-gey-shuhn] / ˈsɛlfˌæb nɪˈgeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. self-denial or self-sacrifice.


self-abnegation British  

noun

  1. the denial of one's own interests in favour of the interests of others

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • self-abnegating adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-abnegation

First recorded in 1650–60

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.

On the contrary, sometimes it unfolds out of the public eye; self-abnegation can be a reliable marker of character.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Here, Dominik thoroughly undoes that project in a film that not only re-objectifies Monroe but revels in her victimization and self-abnegation.

From Washington Post • Sep. 28, 2022

Perhaps that is an ordinary situation most mothers would recognize, but I was so immature and unformed that I experienced that acute fear of self-abnegation as if it were the entire meaning of motherhood itself.

From New York Times • Dec. 2, 2021

The close third-person narration of the novel gives readers intimate access to Marianne’s pain and self-abnegation, but some of this gets lost in adaptation.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2020

On the other hand obedience to duty, when it involves pain and self-abnegation, seems to rise in the general estimation.

From Creed And Deed A Series of Discourses by Adler, Felix