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self-esteem

[ self-i-steem, self- ]
/ ˈsɛlf ɪˈstim, ˌsɛlf- /
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noun

a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect.
an inordinately or exaggeratedly favorable impression of oneself.

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RELATED WORDS

morale, dignity, confidence, self-respect, narcissism, conceit, self-assurance, self-satisfaction, worth, self-regard, egotism, vanity, self-content

Nearby words

self-elected, self-employed, self-employment, self-energizing, self-enforcing, self-esteem, self-evident, self-examination, self-excited, self-exculpatory, self-executing

Origin of self-esteem

First recorded in 1650–60
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for self-esteem

British Dictionary definitions for self-esteem

self-esteem

noun

respect for or a favourable opinion of oneself
an unduly high opinion of oneself; vanity
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

Word Origin and History for self-esteem

self-esteem

n.

1650s, from self- + esteem (n.). Popularized by phrenology, which assigned it a "bump" (Spurzheim, 1815).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper