self-actualization

American  

[self-ak-choo-uh-luh-zey-shuhn, self-ak-] / ˈsɛlfˌæk tʃu ə ləˈzeɪ ʃən, ˌsɛlf æk- /

noun

Psychology.

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

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self-actualization British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of self-actualization

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Caught up in my own personal videogame, I would furiously listen to podcasts about fitness, purity, self-actualization, completing my ring.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their videos draw on popular TikTok formats like shopping “hauls” and “get ready with me” routines, making supplements seem like a step toward pleasure or self-actualization.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Frankenstein” is largely about the journey to self-actualization and the destruction left in the wake of this ceaseless human pursuit.

From Salon

Other times, such as the surreal world of the donkey afterlife, I thought of the colorfully unpredictable universe of the music-focused game “The Artful Escape,” a quest for personal identity and self-actualization.

From Los Angeles Times

Any humiliations Crowe might have suffered as an uncertain teen were for his mother merely speed bumps on the journey to self-actualization, ideally as a lawyer.

From Los Angeles Times