self-love
Americannoun
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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.
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conceit; vanity.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
“Her message of self-love and living more authentically is the reason I started the book club in the first place.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
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
The self-love script took hold in part because it offered a comforting narrative.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
The Labadists in particular embraced simple communal living and sacrifice in order to flush out the poisons of self-love.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
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.
