sense of self

American  

noun

senses of self plural

1. a person's awareness of being an individual distinct from others.

2. an idea or conception of one's own identity and value.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• senses of self
  plural

Example Sentences

It makes me wonder if what makes a boy’s mother a Boy Mom is a sense of self that requires the consistent validation of being needed.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

We are sucked into our own ideological comfort zones and when we stray outside it's a shock to the system, and often our sense of self.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

"The findings may provide new insights into psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, where the sense of self is disturbed."

From Science Daily • Jan. 14, 2026

All of this searching, seeking, journeying, finding a sense of self and a sovereign self, all that stuff comes from a little hole, a little bit of lack in her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

I had so much—an education, a healthy sense of self, a deep arsenal of ambition—and I was wise enough to credit my mother, in particular, with instilling it in me.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama