self-love
Americannoun
-
the instinct by which one's actions are directed to the promotion of one's own welfare or well-being, especially an excessive regard for one's own advantage.
-
conceit; vanity.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-love
First recorded in 1555–65
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.
The Love Yourself albums, which centered on self-love, mental health and personal growth resonated across cultures.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026
The diet culture of the ’90s was never totally vanquished, and Ozempic has complicated narratives about body size, health, and self-love, to put it mildly.
From Slate ● Mar. 31, 2026
That’s something I, at least, talk about a lot with my friends — and what does self-love look like and feel like and mean to me?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2026
The self-love script took hold in part because it offered a comforting narrative.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
He clothed his motives in the names of virtue, and I have wondered whether he ever knew that no gift will ever buy back a man’s love when you have removed his self-love.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
