self-knowledge

American

[self-nol-ij, self-] / ˌsɛlfˈnɒl ɪdʒ, ˈsɛlf- /

noun

knowledge or understanding of oneself, one's character, abilities, motives, etc.

self-knowledge British

noun

knowledge of one's own character, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of self-knowledge

First recorded in 1605–15

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.

Stylishness was certainly important to Mr. Stern, and he had enough self-knowledge to laugh about it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

But the adventures that skateboarding facilitates can also be gateways to freedom and self-knowledge.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2024

“Maybe,” she reasons with a weary sigh, arriving at some self-knowledge, “I’m just kinda like this.”

From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2023

Insight refers to a self-knowledge and understanding of how thoughts and feelings participate in shaping our perception -- and how to transform unhelpful patterns of thought relating to ourselves and the world.

From Science Daily • Dec. 1, 2023

Perhaps it is self-knowledge, symbolized here by the mirror.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023