self

The word “self” means a person's own individual character, personality, or identity. In plain terms, the core identity or personality that makes someone who they are.

“Self” is pronounced SEHLF (/ˈsɛlf/ in IPA).

Here is “self” used in a sentence: “Travel helped her discover a more confident self.”

Words with a similar meaning to “self” include cyberself, herself, himself, itself, myself and non-self.

The opposite of “self” — its antonyms — are nonself and outcross.

Depending on how it is used, “self” can be a noun and a pronoun.

The word “self” comes from Old English. From Old English self/seolf, going back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "one's own," shared with German selbst and Dutch zelf.

“Self” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

The self is your whole individual identity — the character, personality, and sense of who you are. The ego, in everyday speech, is your sense of self-importance or pride. In psychology it names the part of the mind that balances desires against reality. The self is the whole; the ego is one aspect of it.

The two are closely linked. The self is the whole person you experience yourself to be from the inside — your character and inner life. Identity is how that self is defined and labelled, both by you and by others, through things like name, role, culture, and beliefs. Identity gives the self its outward shape.

Yes. Although people feel like the same person throughout life, personality, values, and identity naturally develop with age and experience. Major events, relationships, and choices can all reshape how you see yourself. Psychologists agree the self is not fixed but evolves, while usually keeping a recognisable thread of continuity.