self
n pl , selves
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 good self (or selves)
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) usually preceded by: the 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
pron
8 Not standard myself, yourself, etc.
seats for self and wife
adj
9 of the same colour or material
a dress with a self belt See also →
self-coloured
10 Obsolete the same (Old English seolf; related to Old Norse sjalfr, Gothic silba, Old High German selb)
self-
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
self-abnegation
n the denial of one's own interests in favour of the interests of others
♦
self-abnegating adj
self-absorption
n
1 preoccupation with oneself to the exclusion of others or the outside world
2 (Physics) the process in which some of the radiation emitted by a material is absorbed by the material itself
self-abuse
n
1 disparagement or misuse of one's own abilities, etc.
2 a censorious term for →
masturbation
self-acting
adj not requiring an external influence or control to function; automatic
♦
self-action n
self-actualization
n (Psychol) the process of establishing oneself as a whole person, able to develop one's abilities and to understand oneself
self-addressed
adj
1 addressed for return to the sender
2 directed to oneself
a self-addressed remark
self-advocacy
n (Social welfare) (esp. in the U.S.)
a the practice of having mentally handicapped people speak for themselves and control their own affairs, rather than having nonhandicapped people automatically assume responsibility for them
See also →
normalization
b (as modifier)
a self-advocacy group
2 the act or condition of representing oneself, either generally in society or in formal proceedings, such as a court
self-aggrandizement
n the act of increasing one's own power, importance, etc., esp. in an aggressive or ruthless manner
♦
self-aggrandizing adj
self-annealing
adj (Metallurgy) denoting certain metals, such as lead, tin, and zinc, that recrystallize at air temperatures and so may be cold-worked without strain-hardening
self-annihilation
n the surrender of the self in mystical contemplation, union with God, etc.
self-appointed
adj having assumed authority without the agreement of others
a self-appointed critic
self-assertion
n the act or an instance of putting forward one's own opinions, etc., esp. in an aggressive or conceited manner
♦
self-asserting adj
♦
self-assertingly adv
♦
self-assertive adj
♦
self-assertively adv
♦
self-assertiveness n
self-assessment
n
1 an evaluation of one's own abilities and failings
2 (Finance) a system to enable taxpayers to assess their own tax liabilities
self-assurance
n confidence in the validity, value, etc., of one's own ideas, opinions, etc.
self-assured
adj confident of one's own worth
♦
self-assuredly adv
♦
self-assuredness n
self-catering
adj denoting accommodation in which the tenant or visitor provides and prepares his own food
self-centred
adj totally preoccupied with one's own concerns
♦
self-centredly adv
♦
self-centredness n
self-certification
n (in Britain) a formal assertion by a worker to his employer that absence from work for up to seven days was due to sickness. From 1982 this replaced a doctor's certificate for the purposes of paying sickness benefit
See also →
sick note
self-coloured
adj
1 having only a single and uniform colour
self-coloured flowers, a self-coloured dress
2 (of cloth, material, etc.)
a having the natural or original colour
b retaining the colour of the thread before weaving
self-command
n another term for →
self-control
self-concept
n (Psychol) the whole set of attitudes, opinions, and cognitions that a person has of himself
self-confessed
adj according to one's own testimony or admission
a self-confessed liar
self-confidence
n confidence in one's own powers, judgment, etc.
♦
self-confident adj
♦
self-confidently adv
self-conscious
adj
1 unduly aware of oneself as the object of the attention of others; embarrassed
2 conscious of one's existence
♦
self-consciously adv
♦
self-consciousness n
self-contained
adj
1 containing within itself all parts necessary for completeness
2 (of a flat) having its own kitchen, bathroom, and lavatory not shared by others and usually having its own entrance
3 able or tending to keep one's feelings, thoughts, etc., to oneself; reserved
4 able to control one's feelings or emotions in the presence of others
♦
self-containedly adv
♦
self-containedness n
self-control
n the ability to exercise restraint or control over one's feelings, emotions, reactions, etc.
♦
self-controlled adj
♦
self-controlling adj
self-deception , self-deceit
n the act or an instance of deceiving oneself, esp. as to the true nature of one's feelings or motives
♦
self-deceptive adj
self-defence
n
1 the act of defending oneself, one's actions, ideas, etc.
2 boxing as a means of defending the person (esp. in the phrase noble art of self-defence)
3 (Law) the right to defend one's person, family, or property against attack or threat of attack by the use of no more force than is reasonable
♦
self-defensive adj
self-denial
n the denial or sacrifice of one's own desires
♦
self-denying adj
♦
self-denyingly adv
self-deprecating , self-depreciating
adj having a tendency to disparage oneself
self-determination
n
1 the power or ability to make a decision for oneself without influence from outside
2 the right of a nation or people to determine its own form of government without influence from outside
♦
self-determined adj
♦
self-determining adj
self-discipline
n the act of disciplining or power to discipline one's own feelings, desires, etc., esp. with the intention of improving oneself
♦
self-disciplined adj
self-dissociation
n (Chem) the splitting of the molecules of certain highly polar liquids, such as water and liquid ammonia, into ions
self-drive
adj denoting or relating to a hired car that is driven by the hirer
self-educated
adj
1 educated through one's own efforts without formal instruction
2 educated at one's own expense, without financial aid
♦
self-education n
self-effacement
n the act of making oneself, one's actions, etc., inconspicuous, esp. because of humility or timidity
♦
self-effacing adj
♦
self-effacingly adv
self-employed
adj earning one's living in one's own business or through freelance work, rather than as the employee of another
♦
self-employment n
self-esteem
n
1 respect for or a favourable opinion of oneself
2 an unduly high opinion of oneself; vanity
self-evident
adj containing its own evidence or proof without need of further demonstration
♦
self-evidence n
♦
self-evidently adv
self-examination
n scrutiny of one's own conduct, motives, desires, etc.
♦
self-examining adj
self-excited
adj
1 (of an electrical machine) having the current for the magnetic field system generated by the machine itself or by an auxiliary machine coupled to it
2 (of an oscillator) generating its own energy and depending on resonant circuits for frequency determination
self-executing
adj (of a law, treaty, or clause in a deed or contract, etc.) coming into effect automatically at a specified time, no legislation or other action being needed for enforcement
self-existent
adj (Philosophy) existing independently of any other being or cause
♦
self-existence n
self-explanatory , (less commonly) self-explaining
adj understandable without explanation; self-evident
self-expression
n the expression of one's own personality, feelings, etc., as in painting, poetry, or other creative activity
♦
self-expressive adj
self-feeder
n any machine or device capable of automatically supplying materials when and where they are needed, esp. one for making measured quantities of food constantly available to farm livestock
self-fertilization
n fertilization in a plant or animal by the fusion of male and female gametes produced by the same individual
Compare →
cross-fertilization →
1
♦
self-fertilized adj
♦
self-fertilizing, self-fertile adj
self-forgetful
adj forgetful of one's own interests
♦
self-forgetfully adv
♦
self-forgetfulness n
self-government
n
1 the government of a country, nation, etc., by its own people
2 the state of being self-controlled
3 an archaic term for →
self-control
♦
self-governed adj
♦
self-governing adj
self-help
n
1 the act or state of providing the means to help oneself without relying on the assistance of others
a the practice of solving one's problems by joining or forming a group designed to help those suffering from a particular problem
b (as modifier)
a self-help group
self-identity
n the conscious recognition of the self as having a unique identity
self-image
n one's own idea of oneself or sense of one's worth
self-important
adj having or showing an unduly high opinion of one's own abilities, importance, etc.
♦
self-importantly adv
♦
self-importance n
self-improvement
n the improvement of one's status, position, education, etc., by one's own efforts
self-induced
adj
1 induced or brought on by oneself or itself
2 (Electronics) produced by self-induction
self-inductance
n the inherent inductance of a circuit, given by the ratio of the electromotive force produced in the circuit by self-induction to the rate of change of current producing it. It is usually expressed in henries., (Symbol)
L (Also called)
coefficient of self-induction
self-induction
n the production of an electromotive force in a circuit when the magnetic flux linked with the circuit changes as a result of a change in current in the same circuit
See also →
self-inductance
Compare →
mutual induction
♦
self-inductive adj
self-indulgent
adj tending to indulge one's own desires, etc.
♦
self-indulgence n
♦
self-indulgently adv
self-insurance
n the practice of insuring oneself or one's property by accumulating a reserve out of one's income or funds rather than by purchase of an insurance policy
self-interest
n
1 one's personal interest or advantage
2 the act or an instance of pursuing one's own interest
♦
self-interested adj
♦
self-interestedness n
self-justification
n the act or an instance of justifying or providing excuses for one's own behaviour, etc.
self-justifying
adj offering excuses for one's behaviour, often when they are not called for
self-knowledge
n knowledge of one's own character, etc.
self-liquidating
adj
1 (of a loan, bill of exchange, etc.) used to finance transactions whose proceeds are expected to accrue before the date of redemption or repayment
2 (of a business transaction, project, investment, etc.) yielding proceeds sufficient to cover the initial outlay or to finance any recurrent outlays
self-loading
adj (of a firearm) utilizing some of the force of the explosion to eject the empty shell and replace it with a new one, (Also)
autoloading See also →
automatic →
5 →
semiautomatic →
2
♦
self-loader n
self-love
n the instinct or tendency to seek one's own well-being or to further one's own interest
self-made
adj
1 having achieved wealth, status, etc., by one's own efforts
self-opinionated , (less commonly) self-opinioned
adj
1 having an unduly high regard for oneself or one's own opinions
2 clinging stubbornly to one's own opinions
self-pity
n the act or state of pitying oneself, esp. in an exaggerated or self-indulgent manner
♦
self-pitying adj
♦
self-pityingly adv
self-pollination
n the transfer of pollen from the anthers to the stigma of the same flower
Compare →
cross-pollination
♦
self-pollinated adj
self-possessed
adj having control of one's emotions, etc.
♦
self-possessedly adv
♦
self-possession n
self-preservation
n the preservation of oneself from danger or injury, esp. as a basic instinct
self-pronouncing
adj (in a phonetic transcription) of, relating to, or denoting a word that, except for additional diacritic marks of stress, may keep the letters of its ordinary orthography to represent its pronunciation
self-propelled
adj (of a vehicle) provided with its own source of tractive power rather than requiring an external means of propulsion
♦
self-propelling adj
self-raising
adj (of flour) having a raising agent, such as baking powder, already added
self-realization
n the realization or fulfilment of one's own potential or abilities
self-regard
n
1 concern for one's own interest
2 proper esteem for oneself
self-regarding
adj
1 self-centred; egotistical
2 (Philosophy) (of an action) affecting the interests of no-one other than the agent, and hence, according to John Stuart Mill, immune from moral criticism
self-regulating organization
n one of several British organizations set up in 1986 under the auspices of the Securities and Investment Board to regulate the activities of London investment markets, (Abbrev.)
SRO
self-reliance
n reliance on one's own abilities, decisions, etc.
♦
self-reliant adj
♦
self-reliantly adv
self-renunciation
n the renunciation of one's own rights, claims, interest, etc., esp. in favour of those of others
♦
self-renunciatory adj
self-reproach
n the act of finding fault with or blaming oneself
♦
self-reproachful adj
♦
self-reproachfully adv
self-respect
n a proper sense of one's own dignity and integrity
♦
self-respectful, self-respecting adj
self-restraint
n restraint imposed by oneself on one's own feelings, desires, etc.
self-righteous
adj having or showing an exaggerated awareness of one's own virtuousness or rights
♦
self-righteously adv
♦
self-righteousness n
self-rule
n another term for →
self-government →
1
self-sacrifice
n the sacrifice of one's own desires, interest, etc., for the sake of duty or for the well-being of others
♦
self-sacrificing adj
♦
self-sacrificingly adv
self-satisfied
adj having or showing a complacent satisfaction with oneself, one's own actions, behaviour, etc.
♦
self-satisfaction n
self-sealing
adj (esp. of an envelope) designed to become sealed with the application of pressure only
self-seeking
n
1 the act or an instance of seeking one's own profit or interest, esp. exclusively
adj
2 having or showing an exclusive preoccupation with one's own profit or interest
a self-seeking attitude
♦
self-seeker n
self-service
adj
1 of or denoting a shop, restaurant, petrol station, etc., where the customer serves himself
n
2 the practice of serving oneself, as in a shop, etc.
self-serving
adj habitually seeking one's own advantage, esp. at the expense of others
self-sown
adj (of plants) growing from seed dispersed by any means other than by the agency of man or animals, (Also)
self-seeded
self-starter
n
1 an electric motor used to start an internal-combustion engine
2 the switch that operates this motor
3 a person who is strongly motivated and shows initiative, esp. at work
self-styled
adj prenominal claiming to be of a specified nature, quality, profession, etc.
a self-styled expert
self-sufficient , self-sufficing
adj able to provide for or support oneself without the help of others
♦
self-sufficiency n
♦
self-sufficiently adv
self-suggestion
n another term for →
autosuggestion
self-supporting
adj
1 able to support or maintain oneself without the help of others
2 able to stand up or hold firm without support, props, attachments, etc.
self-tapping
adj (of a screw) cutting its own thread when screwed into a plain hole in a metal sheet
self-tender
n an offer by a company to buy back some or all of its shares from its shareholders, esp. as a protection against an unwelcome takeover bid
self-violence
n
Euphemistic suicide
self-will
n stubborn adherence to one's own will, desires, etc., esp. at the expense of others
♦
self-willed adj
self-winding
adj (of a wrist watch) having a mechanism, activated by the movements of the wearer, in which a rotating or oscillating weight rewinds the mainspring