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

Or if you’re doing well in your career but taking time to shift gears, then you can bet on your future self.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Golding is writing about the instability of the self, after all, and his prose enacts that instability: shifting perspectives and uncertain ground, relieved by moments of sudden, disquieting clarity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Releasing updated figures on Tuesday, Zimbabwe's cabinet said 108,366 of its people had come home as of July 18, a majority of them self repatriating.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Or maybe his views will be kept for his self curated YouTube channel.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

“It’s all you now, Grandpa,” my video self replies offscreen.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

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

Moreover, the family unit was self- sufficient and relied on its own resources and abilities to meet its needs.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

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

“That can be the cheapest kind of self- indulgence. You stop that!”

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

“We often judge our younger selves using knowledge, maturity and resources that we did not possess at the time,” Penberthy says.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Empathy, the nuclear fusion of playwriting, is expanded when we’re allowed to take in more of our patchwork selves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

Mr. Burgis’s emphasis on discussing how to transform from pseudo-selves to solid selves misses a few things.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 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

But Mami was too proud to ask them for more than they volunteered, and we were all developing the same stubborn pride, behind which our frightened selves hid, pretending everything was all right.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

Related Words

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