self-starter

American  

[self-stahr-ter] / ˈsɛlfˈstɑr tər /

noun

1. starter.

2. Informal. a person who begins work or undertakes a project on their own initiative, without needing to be told or encouraged to do so.

---

self-starter British  

noun

1. the former name for a starter

2. a person who is strongly motivated and shows initiative, esp at work

---

Other Word Forms

• self-starting
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-starter

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

She’s a natural, a self-starter, a quick learner, a hard bargainer, a mistress of disguise — really just putting on a wig, some good clothes and a posh British or American accent.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2024

Gas-powered cars were becoming more reliable and easier to operate; the adoption of the self-starter made them safer.

From Washington Post • Sep. 23, 2021

You have been improvising so much the last several years in your career; you have been a self-starter.

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2020

According to Ms. Smith, Edith Gregor Halpert was a “formidable, feisty and sometimes manipulative self-starter with an ecumenical eye, a passion for art and an inborn instinct for sales and promotion.”

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2019

I emphasized my ability to work independently, that I was a self-starter and had excellent time management skills.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad