self

[ self ]

/ sɛlf /

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See synonyms for: self / selves on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural selves

[selvz]. /sɛlvz/.

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.

adjective

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.

pronoun, plural selves.

myself, himself, herself, etc.: to make a check payable to self.

verb (used with or without object)

to self-pollinate.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of self

before 900; Middle English; Old English self, selfa; cognate with Dutch zelf,German selb-,Old Norse sjalfr,Gothic silba

Other definitions for self (2 of 2)

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).

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use self in a sentence

Convinced that Nero had become a self-aggrandizing liability, they decided he must go.
What was Nero really doing while Rome burned?|Diana Preston|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Librarian Will Andersen is partial to the self-published memoirs by soldiers not as famous as Ike.
Things are shipshape at the Army and Navy Club on Farragut Square in D.C.|John Kelly|November 18, 2020|Washington Post
The comedian will wrap up his self-titled nightly TBS show next year, and then move to HBO Max, where he’ll host a weekly variety series.
Conan O’Brien’s move to HBO Max heralds the future of late-night comedy|Adam Epstein|November 18, 2020|Quartz
So this is from a self-interested standpoint, a critical issue for us.
EmTech Stage: Facebook’s CTO on misinformation|Tate Ryan-Mosley|November 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review

These new systems self-monitor the condition of roads and bridges quickly and accurately and can, sometimes, even repair themselves.
Smart Concrete Could Pave the Way for High-Tech, Cost-Effective Roads|Luna Lu|November 13, 2020|Singularity Hub
I was heavy in spirit, my conscience accused me of a wrong to one of the “selfs” in me,—for we have several selfs, I think.
Unveiling a Parallel|Alice Ilgenfritz Jones and Ella Marchant
Us ladies is musin our selfs er makin dis ole fing farly howl.
The Broken Sword|Dennison Worthington
While, in the case of the Selfs consisting of food and so on, a further inner Self is duly mentioned each time.
The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya|Translator: George Thibaut
The preceding adhikarana had shown that the five Selfs (consisting of food, mind, and so on), which the Taitt.
The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya|Translator: George Thibaut
For Kapila, by acknowledging a plurality of Selfs, does not admit the doctrine of there being one universal Self.
The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya|Translator: George Thibaut

British Dictionary definitions for self (1 of 2)

self

/ (sɛlf) /

noun plural selves (sɛlvz)

the distinct individuality or identity of a person or thing

a person's usual or typical bodily make-up or personal characteristicsshe looked her old self again

good self or good selves 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 interestshe only thinks of self

an individual's consciousness of his own identity or being

the self 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

pronoun

not standard myself, yourself, etcseats for self and wife

adjective

of the same colour or materiala dress with a self belt See also self-coloured

obsolete the same

Word Origin for self

Old English seolf; related to Old Norse sjālfr, Gothic silba, Old High German selb

British Dictionary definitions for self (2 of 2)

self-

combining form

of oneself or itselfself-defence; self-rule

by, to, in, due to, for, or from the selfself-employed; self-inflicted; self-respect

automatic or automaticallyself-propelled

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

self

Origin of self

Other definitions for self (2 of 2)

Words related to self

How to use self in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for self (1 of 2)

Word Origin for self

British Dictionary definitions for self (2 of 2)