self

noun
UK: /self/
US: /self/

  1. A person's own individuality or being.

    1. I am not myself today, because I am tired and self-conscious. [ ] [ ]
    2. You should always be true to your self, and never pretend to be someone else to impress others. [ ] [ ]

  2. One's own person or thing, in contrast to others.

    1. She did it all by herself, proving her self-reliance. [ ] [ ]
    2. He considers himself an expert, but others see him as overly self-assured and inexperienced. [ ] [ ]

  3. Personal advantage or interest.

    1. He only thinks of self, never considering others' needs. [ ] [ ]
    2. Sometimes you have to put self-interest aside and think about the greater good. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

ego being personality individual identity
self verb

  1. To fertilize (a plant) with its own pollen.

    1. The plant self-pollinated in the greenhouse experiment. [ ] [ ]
    2. Certain varieties of apple can self-pollinate, producing fruit without needing another tree. [ ] [ ]
self adjective

  1. Used to form compound adjectives indicating something done by or to oneself or itself.

    1. It was a self-made success, achieved through hard work. [ ] [ ]
    2. The self-assessment form helped the employees reflect on their performance. [ ] [ ]
self prefix

  1. Used as a prefix to form words referring to oneself or itself.

    1. A self-portrait is an image that someone creates of their self. [ ] [ ]
    2. Self-discipline is necessary if you want to achieve your goals. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "self" in English means: A person's own individuality or being., One's own person or thing, in contrast to others., Personal advantage or interest..

The phonetic transcription of "self" is /self/ in British English and /self/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "self": ego, being, personality, individual, identity.

Example usage of "self": "I am not myself today, because I am tired and self-conscious.". More examples on the page.