self-made
Americanadjective
-
having succeeded in life unaided.
He is a self-made man.
-
made by oneself.
adjective
-
having achieved wealth, status, etc, by one's own efforts
-
made by oneself
Etymology
Origin of self-made
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.
But if it feels like “The Oprah Winfrey Show” remains a present force despite Winfrey ending her show 15 years ago, that is because it lives on through hundreds of self-made influencers.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
By 2014, she was the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Parton was a successful and shrewd businesswoman, and in 2022 was listed by Forbes as one of America's richest self-made women, external.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Nearly one in five teens already own a Cash App card, Templeton said, and the company allows users to customize their cards with colors, self-made illustrations and glow-in-the-dark features.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
He walked away, his self-made light the last thing to fade in the dark forest.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
