self-help

American  

[self-help, self-] / ˌsɛlfˈhɛlp, ˈsɛlf- /

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.

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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 British  

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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of self-help

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

The company has been working on several “self-help” initiatives, including a product refresh, cost actions, leadership reorganization and consolidation of some of its facilities, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal

Leaders of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County on Friday rolled out a new effort to offer self-help services and teach children about the nation’s largest trial court system.

From Los Angeles Times

Holmes’ feed is a babbling stream of self-help epigrams, ankle-deep reflections and many, many photos of herself.

From Los Angeles Times

By the 1960s, reservation electronics plants recruited Native women for circuit-board work with the promise of “self-help” development.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From The Wall Street Journal