a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality.
one's own self.
a person's nature, character, etc..
his better self.
personal interest.
Philosophy.
the ego; that which knows, remembers, desires, suffers, etc., as contrasted with that known, remembered, etc.
the uniting principle, as a soul, underlying all subjective experience.
being the same throughout, as a color; uniform.
being of one piece with or the same material as the rest.
drapes with a self lining.
Immunology. the natural constituents of the body, which are normally not subject to attack by components of the immune system (contrasted with nonself).
Obsolete. same.
the distinct individuality or identity of a person or thing
a person's usual or typical bodily make-up or personal characteristics
she looked her old self again
rare a polite way of referring to or addressing a person (or persons), used following your, his, her, or their
one's own welfare or interests
he only thinks of self
an individual's consciousness of his own identity or being
philosophy that which is essential to an individual, esp the mind or soul in Cartesian metaphysics; the ego
a bird, animal, etc, that is a single colour throughout, esp a self-coloured pigeon
of the same colour or material See also self-coloured
a dress with a self belt
obsolete the same
of oneself or itself
self-defence
self-rule
by, to, in, due to, for, or from the self
self-employed
self-inflicted
self-respect
automatic or automatically
self-propelled
What does self- mean? Self- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “self,” in a variety of senses. Often, it is used to mean "of the self," "independent," or "automatic." In many instances, it is separated from the second element with a hyphen, as in self-government. It is often used in a variety of everyday and technical terms. Self- comes from Old English self, meaning “self.”
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English self, selfa; cognate with Dutch zelf, German selb-, Old Norse sjalfr, Gothic silba; akin to Irish féin, Latin suī, sē
Your self is your sense of who you are, deep down — your identity. When you let someone else know you well, you reveal your true self to them. If the subject of your thoughts is you, you're thinking about your self — or, alternately, yourself. There are parts of your brain that make it possible for you to think about the concept of self, and schools of philosophy devoted to exploring why people have a unique sense of self. Psychologists also study the development of the self, or the beginning of self-awareness, in children. Self comes from the Old English, in which it means "one's own person."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The findings are the second study from the Purple Mountain Observatory team exploring two component self interacting dark matter.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
It may even put your digital self on the field and make you part of the competition, rubbing virtual shoulders with your favorite players.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
They were scenes his younger self could only have dreamed of when he would visit Wimbledon to watch matches as a child.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
She might “create a new persona,” as she says on “I Feel So Free,” but even her personae are versions of her true self.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
“You look like your old self again,” Ophie exclaimed.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
At the heart of the political conversation this week are the government's self- imposed "fiscal rules".
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2025
The participants who performed acts of niceness reported higher well-being on all four—a sense of meaning in life, self- satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and mood—than those who did errands.
From Slate ● Dec. 1, 2023
“They exist as figures to admire, due to the ways in which they amplify self- acceptance, empowerment and celebrate individuality,” she said.
From New York Times ● Jun. 30, 2023
Moreover, the family unit was self- sufficient and relied on its own resources and abilities to meet its needs.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
The saint’s face had been rubbed off, but the fingers of his right hand were raised to bless a short, purple, terrifically self- confident-looking mulberry tree.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
When meeting potential music supervisors for “Elle,” Kittrell, Dries and Neustadter asked candidates to submit playlists that captured their high school selves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
A big problem in planning is that people have a hard time thinking of their future selves, especially when feeling younger than they are, says Frederick.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Holloway added: "I want to express to people that you are allowed to evolve and change and embrace the whole story, their whole selves."
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
He just gave them permission to be their true selves.
From Salon ● May 26, 2026
I need the extra room, and it sucks to wait until their perfectly armed selves are all done with their luxurious, roomy bathroom visits.
From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling
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.
