Dictionary
Thesaurus
Medical
Scrabble®
Spanish Central
Browse DictionaryBrowse Thesaurus
Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android
Games
Word of the Day
Video
Blog: Words at Play
My Faves
Dictionary

self-

combining form

: yourself or itself

: of yourself or itself

: by, to, with, for, or toward yourself or itself

Full Definition of SELF-

1
a :  oneself or itself <self-supporting>
b :  of oneself or itself <self-abasement>
c :  by oneself or itself <self-propelled> <self-acting>
2
a :  to, with, for, or toward oneself or itself <self-consistent> <self-addressed> <self-love>
b :  of or in oneself or itself inherently <self-evident>
c :  from or by means of oneself or itself <self-fertile>
  1. self–abase·ment
  2. self–ab·ne·gat·ing
  3. self–ab·ne·ga·tion
  4. self–ac·cel·er·at·ing
  5. self–ac·cep·tance
  6. self–ac·cu·sa·tion
  7. self–ac·cu·sa·to·ry
  8. self–ac·cus·ing
  9. self–ac·knowl·edged
  10. self–ad·just·ing
  11. self–ad·min·is·ter
  12. self–ad·min·is·tra·tion
  13. self–ad·mit·ted
  14. self–ad·mit·ted·ly
  15. self–ad·u·la·to·ry
  16. self–ad·vance·ment
  17. self–ad·ver·tise·ment
  18. self–ad·ver·tis·er
  19. self–af·fir·ma·tion
  20. self–ag·gran·dize·ment
  21. self–ag·gran·diz·ing
  22. self–alien·ation
  23. self–anoint·ed
  24. self–ap·prais·al
  25. self–ap·pro·ba·tion
  26. self–as·sess·ment
  27. self–as·sign·ment
  28. self–au·then·ti·cat·ing
  29. self–avowed
  30. self–bet·ter·ment
  31. self–can·cel
  32. self–care
  33. self–car·i·ca·ture
  34. self–cas·ti·gate
  35. self–cas·ti·ga·tion
  36. self–cen·sor·ship
  37. self–char·ac·ter·i·za·tion
  38. self–clas·si·fi·ca·tion
  39. self–clean·ing
  40. self–com·mand
  41. self–com·mun·ing
  42. self–com·mu·nion
  43. self–com·pla·cen·cy
  44. self–com·pla·cent
  45. self–con·dem·na·tion
  46. self–con·demned
  47. self–con·firm·ing
  48. self–con·se·cra·tion
  49. self–con·sti·tut·ed
  50. self–con·sum·ing
  51. self–con·tem·pla·tion
  52. self–con·tempt
  53. self–cre·at·ed
  54. self–cre·a·tion
  55. self–crit·i·cal
  56. self–crit·i·cism
  57. self–cri·tique
  58. self–cul·ti·va·tion
  59. self–cul·ture
  60. self–damn·ing
  61. self–de·base·ment
  62. self–de·ceit
  63. self–de·ceive
  64. self–de·cep·tion
  65. self–de·feat·ing
  66. self–de·lud·ed
  67. self–de·lud·ing
  68. self–de·lu·sion
  69. self–den·i·grat·ing
  70. self–den·i·gra·tion
  71. self–de·pen·dence
  72. self–de·pen·dent
  73. self–dep·re·cat·ing
  74. self–dep·re·cat·ing·ly
  75. self–dep·re·ca·tion
  76. self–dep·re·ca·to·ry
  77. self–de·pre·ci·a·tion
  78. self–de·scribed
  79. self–de·scrip·tion
  80. self–de·scrip·tive
  81. self–de·stroy·er
  82. self–de·vel·op·ment
  83. self–de·vour·ing
  84. self–dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion
  85. self–di·rect·ed
  86. self–di·rect·ing
  87. self–di·rec·tion
  88. self–di·rec·tive
  89. self–dis·gust
  90. self–dis·play
  91. self–dis·sat·is·fac·tion
  92. self–doubt
  93. self–ed·u·cat·ed
  94. self–ed·u·cat·ing
  95. self–ed·u·ca·tion
  96. self–ef·face·ment
  97. self–ef·fac·ing
  98. self–eman·ci·pa·tion
  99. self–emas·cu·la·tion
  100. self–en·closed
  101. self–en·grossed
  102. self–en·hance·ment
  103. self–eval·u·ate
  104. self–eval·u·a·tion
  105. self–ex·clu·sion
  106. self–ex·cul·pa·tion
  107. self–ex·hi·bi·tion
  108. self–ex·is·tence
  109. self–ex·is·tent
  110. self–ex·plain·ing
  111. self–ex·tinc·tion
  112. self–fi·nance
  113. self–formed
  114. self–gen·er·ate
  115. self–giv·ing
  116. self–guid·ed
  117. self–hate
  118. self–hat·ing
  119. self–ha·tred
  120. self–heal·ing
  121. self–hum·bling
  122. self–hu·mil·i·a·tion
  123. self–hyp·no·sis
  124. self–idol·a·try
  125. self–im·posed
  126. self–im·prove·ment
  127. self–im·prov·er
  128. self–in·duced
  129. self–in·fat·u·at·ed
  130. self–in·fla·tion
  131. self–in·flict·ed
  132. self–ini·ti·at·ed
  133. self–in·struct·ed
  134. self–in·struc·tion
  135. self–in·struc·tion·al
  136. self–in·ter·view
  137. self–in·vent·ed
  138. self–in·ven·tion
  139. self–iso·la·tion
  140. self–la·beled
  141. self–lac·er·at·ing
  142. self–lac·er·a·tion
  143. self–loath·ing
  144. self–lock·ing
  145. self–lu·bri·cat·ing
  146. self–lu·mi·nous
  147. self–main·te·nance
  148. self–man·age·ment
  149. self–mas·tery
  150. self–med·i·ca·tion
  151. self–mock·ery
  152. self–mock·ing
  153. self–mor·ti·fi·ca·tion
  154. self–mo·ti·vat·ed
  155. self–mu·ti·lat·ing
  156. self–mu·ti·la·tion
  157. self–ne·gat·ing
  158. self–ob·sessed
  159. self–op·er·at·ing
  160. self–or·dained
  161. self–ori·ent·ed
  162. self–par·o·dist
  163. self–par·o·dy
  164. self–penned
  165. self–per·pet·u·at·ing
  166. self–per·pet·u·a·tion
  167. self–pla·gia·rism
  168. self–pleas·ing
  169. self–po·lic·ing
  170. self–praise
  171. self–pre·oc·cu·pa·tion
  172. self–pre·oc·cu·pied
  173. self–pre·serv·ing
  174. self–pro·duced
  175. self–pro·mot·er
  176. self–pro·mot·ing
  177. self–pro·mo·tion
  178. self–pro·tec·tion
  179. self–pro·tec·tive
  180. self–pro·tec·tive·ness
  181. self–pun·ish·ing
  182. self–pun·ish·ment
  183. self–raised
  184. self–re·crim·i·na·tion
  185. self–ref·er·ence
  186. self–ref·er·en·tial
  187. self–re·fer·ring
  188. self–ref·or·ma·tion
  189. self–reg·u·la·tion
  190. self–reg·u·la·tive
  191. self–reg·u·la·to·ry
  192. self–re·in·forc·ing
  193. self–re·new·al
  194. self–re·new·ing
  195. self–re·nounc·ing
  196. self–re·nun·ci·a·tion
  197. self–re·proach
  198. self–re·proach·ful
  199. self–re·proof
  200. self–re·prov·ing
  201. self–re·straint
  202. self–rid·i·cule
  203. self–sat·i·riz·ing
  204. self–se·lect·ed
  205. self–se·lec·tion
  206. self–set
  207. self–sur·ren·der
  208. self–sus·tained
  209. self–ther·a·py
  210. self–tor·ment
  211. self–tor·men·tor
  212. self–tor·ture
  213. self–tran·scen·dence
  214. self–trans·for·ma·tion
  215. self–un·der·stand·ing
  216. self–val·i·dat·ing
  217. self–wor·ship
  218. self–wor·ship·er
ADVERTISEMENT

Origin of SELF-

Middle English, from Old English, from self
SELF-DEPRECATING Defined for Kids

self-

prefix

Definition of SELF- for Kids

1
:  someone's or something's self <self-governing>
2
:  of or by someone's or something's self <self-control>
3
:  to, with, for, or toward someone's or something's self <self-respect>

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: self–abandonedPrevious Word in the Dictionary: self All Words Near: self-
ADVERTISEMENT
10 Charming Words for Nasty People
Put-downs with flair
Learn More
When "Literally" isn't, well, literal
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.
Watch Now
Know what this is?
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Go Play
Fear of cats?
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears
Learn More
Join Us
Merriam-Webster
on Facebook
Merriam-Webster
on Twitter
Bookstore: Digital and Print
Merriam-Webster references for Mobile, Kindle, print, and more.
See All
Other Merriam-Webster Dictionaries