self-confidence
Americannoun
-
realistic confidence in one's own judgment, ability, power, etc.
- Synonyms:
- poise, self-respect, self-possession, assurance
-
excessive or inflated confidence in one's own judgment, ability, etc.
- Synonyms:
- self-esteem, conceit
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-confidence
First recorded in 1630–40
Explanation
Self-confidence is a characteristic of believing firmly in your own abilities and strengths. It took a lot of self-confidence to speak up in that student council meeting and say what you were thinking! If you have no doubt that you'll be able to perform your new song at the school talent show, you've got self-confidence. We've been using this noun since the 17th century for a particular type of confidence that's focused on individual strength and the absence of self-doubt. Your self-confidence is what allows you to do things confidently, assuredly, and with conviction.
Vocabulary lists containing self-confidence
Twins
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"With Friends Like These..." by Dorothy Rowe
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Vocabulary Review, Unit 3
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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.
Mr. Stoll projects a slick self-confidence that seems slightly put-on, a hard crust over a more complicated personality.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
The statue is as much a monument to Jones’ self-confidence and refusal to quit as it is to his stellar playing career.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
Just because the strident crunch of Freya Ridings' recent singles conjures up images of a medieval army riding into battle, that doesn't mean she's a warrior queen blessed with bottomless self-confidence.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
"When I had just one of my teeth missing, I couldn't smile and my self-confidence was going," says Carol Sherman, who was at the front of that huge queue in Bristol two years ago.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
Though she applauds their self-confidence, Letitia Lundeen, the antiques dealer, says she is sometimes appalled by what she considers the cavalier ignorance of some women who are suddenly rich.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
