self-image

American  

[self-im-ij] / ˈsɛlfˈɪm ɪdʒ /

noun

1. the idea, conception, or mental image one has of oneself.

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self-image British  

noun

1. one's own idea of oneself or sense of one's worth

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Etymology

Origin of self-image

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Like their hero, the only masculine strength they seem interested in is the kind performed for cameras, far away from real-world challenges that might easily defeat their self-image as the mightiest of men.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

The battle was won partly by the leadership prowess of an individual, Themistocles, but mainly by the strength—physical and political—of the demos, an achievement that sustained the Athenian self-image through the Golden Age.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

On forums for people with NPD, there is a term for what Skidmore is trying to avoid—the shattering of a narcissist’s carefully built self-image, termed a “narcissistic collapse.”

From Slate • Jul. 23, 2025

“The movies, that great repository of the American self-image, have begun to depict people who look and feel more like my parents,” the younger Specktor writes.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2025

Finding a job allows a person to establish a positive role in the community, develop a healthy self-image, and keep a distance from negative influences and opportunities for illegal behavior.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander