selfhood

[self-hood]

noun

1. the state of being an individual person; individuality.

2. one's personality.

3. selfishness.

selfhood

/ ˈsɛlfhʊd /

noun

1. philosophy

   1. the state of having a distinct identity

   2. the individuality so possessed

2. a person's character

3. the quality of being egocentric

Word History and Origins

Origin of selfhood¹

First recorded in 1640–50; self + -hood

Example Sentences

In Mr. Persico’s account, the Protestant Reformation completed the project that Genesis began, entrenching individual autonomy and selfhood in Western culture.

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As she did in the novel “No One Is Talking About This,” Ms. Lockwood deploys a wildly comic voice to explore big questions about suffering and selfhood.

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“Every time you do a practice like that, you’re literally opening up a new neuronal pattern in your brain that expands your selfhood, your ability and that wonderful word we use called ‘resilience.’”

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The Guardian’s four-star review praised the record’s introspective depth, particularly how it wrestles with “the question of Smith’s own selfhood”.

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Through her art and writing, she explores and dissects mental health, selfhood and relationships.

Read more on Seattle Times