Jump To:

• self
  self

  noun

  a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality.
• self-
  self-

  a combining form of self and variously used with the meanings “of the self ” (self-analysis ) and “by oneself or itself ” (self-appointed ); and with the meanings “to, with, toward, for, on, in oneself ” (self-complacent ), “inherent in oneself or itself ” (self-explanatory ), “independent” (self-government ), and “automatic” (self-operating ).

self

¹ American  

[self] / sɛlf /

noun

• selves
  plural

1. a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality.

   one's own self.

2. a person's nature, character, etc..

   his better self.

3. personal interest.

4. Philosophy.

   1. the ego; that which knows, remembers, desires, suffers, etc., as contrasted with that known, remembered, etc.

   2. the uniting principle, as a soul, underlying all subjective experience.

---

adjective

1. being the same throughout, as a color; uniform.

2. being of one piece with or the same material as the rest.

   drapes with a self lining.

3. Immunology. the natural constituents of the body, which are normally not subject to attack by components of the immune system (contrasted with nonself).

4. Obsolete. same.

pronoun

• selves
  plural

1. myself, himself, herself, etc..

   to make a check payable to self.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to self-pollinate.

self- ² American  

1. a combining form of self and variously used with the meanings “of the self ” (self-analysis ) and “by oneself or itself ” (self-appointed ); and with the meanings “to, with, toward, for, on, in oneself ” (self-complacent ), “inherent in oneself or itself ” (self-explanatory ), “independent” (self-government ), and “automatic” (self-operating ).

---

self ¹ British  

/ sɛlf /

noun

1. the distinct individuality or identity of a person or thing

2. a person's usual or typical bodily make-up or personal characteristics

   she looked her old self again

3. rare a polite way of referring to or addressing a person (or persons), used following your, his, her, or their

4. one's own welfare or interests

   he only thinks of self

5. an individual's consciousness of his own identity or being

6. philosophy that which is essential to an individual, esp the mind or soul in Cartesian metaphysics; the ego

7. a bird, animal, etc, that is a single colour throughout, esp a self-coloured pigeon

---

pronoun

1. not_standard myself, yourself, etc

   seats for self and wife

adjective

1. of the same colour or material See also self-coloured

   a dress with a self belt

2. obsolete the same

self- ² British  

combining form

1. of oneself or itself

   self-defence

   self-rule

2. by, to, in, due to, for, or from the self

   self-employed

   self-inflicted

   self-respect

3. automatic or automatically

   self-propelled

---

Usage

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.”

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• selves
  plural

Etymology

Origin of 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

Explanation

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self self- selves

According to state prosecutors, Castro falsely claimed that Sosa-Celis and another man had attacked an ICE agent with a broom and shovel, and that he had simply acted in self defense.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

To her, the surgery is the final step toward becoming her real self, the person she’s always been but could never fully embrace.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026

It was the community my teenage self never would have imagined he'd see.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

“You should be your authentic self in how you engage business.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

She doesn’t look angry, but she’s also not her usual chipper self.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks

By contrast, Train SMART’s marketing emphasizes exercises on de-escalation and secure storage, topics particularly important for gun owners who are interested in self- and family defense.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2025

A journalist said many in the media are "self- censoring" what they report, waiting to gauge how the new rulers will behave.

From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2025

But “Hello Tomorrow!” suggests that deceptions, self- and otherwise, are the rocket fuel that keeps us moving through an otherwise indifferent universe.

From New York Times ● Feb. 16, 2023

In The Theory of Moral Sentiments, written in 1759, he asserted that self- interested participation in a free market would be regulated by unseen forces—an “invisible hand”—that any sort of government interference would only disrupt.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

We were both together again and the self- consciousness was gone.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

In a separate post Sunday, he shared photos of his younger and current selves and celebrated survival and progress in his caption.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

As the authors firmly declare, food “is entwined with every aspect of life, integral to the biology of who we are and a vital constituent of our social selves: our identity, our culture.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

When they’re on screen, Panettiere and Trachtenberg shine through all the Disney conventions, their characters pointing back to their real selves.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026

The original production had two younger actors looking forward to their older selves, but Cumming suggested to director Andrew Panton of Dundee Rep that he cast older actors who could play younger versions of themselves.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

I’ve come to think that’s what heaven is—a place in the memory of others where our best selves live on.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Related Words

• character
• ego
• identity
• individuality
• myself
• person
• personality