self-knowledge

American  

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

noun

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

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self-knowledge British  

noun

1. knowledge of one's own character, etc

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Etymology

Origin of self-knowledge

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

Glatzer: I don’t think anybody that I spoke with in Silicon Valley or in that world — very few of them had that honesty in terms of self-knowledge.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

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

"These findings suggest that reaching to the body may be equally important and that exploring the body is the gateway to self-knowledge."

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2024

After getting dumped by her girlfriend and fired from her job at a Manhattan bookstore that sounds a lot like the Strand, she heads west in search of self-knowledge.

From New York Times • Jun. 22, 2023

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

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