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Synonyms

self-respect

American  
[self-ri-spekt, self-] / ˈsɛlf rɪˈspɛkt, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

  1. proper esteem or regard for the dignity of one's character.

self-respect British  

noun

  1. a proper sense of one's own dignity and integrity

"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

Other Word Forms

  • self-respectful adjective
  • self-respecting adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-respect

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.

She said Atkins' behaviour "totally eroded my self-respect and my self-esteem".

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

The Continent “produced the genius of Mozart and Beethoven,” and it isn’t narrow or xenophobic to feel pride in this; it is a just self-respect without which you won’t be able to continue in history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

How do I keep my self-respect and continue to communicate with him?

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025

How does “the papa,” the upholder of tradition, as the musical’s opening number spells out, maintain his self-respect, if not his authority?

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2025

Do you think it’d give ’em airs or the beginnings of self-respect?

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

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.