self-help

[self-help, self-]

noun

1. the act of providing for or helping or the ability to provide for or help oneself without assistance from others.

2. Law.,  the act or right of remedying a wrong, without resorting to legal proceedings.

3. the acquiring of information or the solving of one's problems, especially those of a psychological nature, without the direct supervision of professionals or experts, as by independent reading or by joining or forming lay groups that are devoted to one's interests or goals.

adjective

1. of or relating to a book, article, home study course, or the like, offering an individual information or counseling intended to be personally beneficial or profitable.

   self-help books on overcoming shyness.

self-help

noun

1. the act or state of providing the means to help oneself without relying on the assistance of others

2. 1. the practice of solving one's problems by joining or forming a group designed to help those suffering from a particular problem

   2. ( as modifier )

      a self-help group

Other Word Forms

• self-helper noun
• self-helpful adjective
• self-helping adjective
• self-helpfulness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-help¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Serving others expands our capacity for gratitude more than any motivational quote on Instagram or self-help book ever could.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"I kept a journal to gain more self-awareness about my tendencies and read self-help books," says Dayna.

Read more on BBC

Tate’s profile only rose afterward, and he began amassing a following as a self-help guru for young men.

Read more on Salon

In the decades that followed, Colored people strove to educate themselves— organizing, creating self-help groups, running for office, fighting to change laws, founding schools, and so on.

Read more on Literature

She situates the rise of OneTaste in the context of the wellness and self-help industries, “lean-in” feminism and the start-up culture of Silicon Valley, and she pays homage to its founding ideals.

Read more on Los Angeles Times