self-service

American  

[self-sur-vis] / ˈsɛlfˈsɜr vɪs /

Also self-serve

noun

1. the system of serving oneself in a restaurant, shop, gas station, or other facility, without the aid of a waiter, clerk, attendant, etc.

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adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a cafeteria, store, etc., designed for the patron or customer to gather food or merchandise from a display counter or shelves without the aid of attendants and pay at a cashier's desk upon leaving.

2. of, for, or pertaining to something designed to be used or enjoyed without the aid of an attendant.

   self-service banking; self-service elevators.

self-service British  

adjective

1. of or denoting a shop, restaurant, petrol station, etc, where the customer serves himself

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noun

1. the practice of serving oneself, as in a shop, etc

Etymology

Origin of self-service

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

He noted that the pressures on Monday’s self-service sales relate to AI in a way.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 9, 2026

He cut costs elsewhere, replacing front-desk attendants with self-service check-in on iPads, for example.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

“But it is still early days as self-service launched only in late 2025.”

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

Skip the massages and instead focus on the facilities: complimentary self-service masks and scrubs make it easy to relax and indulge in the spa experience.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025

After visiting san bernardino and seeing the long fines at McDonald’s, Carl Karcher went home to Anaheim and decided to open his own self-service restaurant.

From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser