se lf-infli cted ADJ A self-inflicted wound or injury is one that you do to yourself deliberately. □ He is being treated for a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
se lf-i nterest N‑UNCOUNT If you accuse someone of self-interest , you disapprove of them because they always want to do what is best for themselves rather than for anyone else. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Their current protests are motivated purely by self-interest.
se lf-i nterested ADJ If you describe someone as self-interested , you disapprove of them because they always want to do what is best for themselves rather than for other people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …self-interested behaviour.
self|ish /se lf I ʃ/ ADJ If you say that someone is selfish , you mean that he or she cares only about himself or herself, and not about other people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I think I've been very selfish. I've been mainly concerned with myself. □ …the selfish interests of a few people. ● self|ish|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ Cabinet Ministers are selfishly pursuing their own vested interests. ● self|ish|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] The arrogance and selfishness of different interest groups never ceases to amaze me.
se lf-kno wledge N‑UNCOUNT Self-knowledge is knowledge that you have about your own character and nature. □ The more self-knowledge we have, the more control we can exert over our feelings and behaviour.
self|less /se lfləs/ ADJ If you say that someone is selfless , you approve of them because they care about other people more than themselves. [APPROVAL ] □ …the selfless love of a mother for her child. ● self|less|ly ADV □ I've never known anyone who cared so selflessly about children. ● self|less|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ I have enormous regard for his selflessness on behalf of his fellow man.
se lf-loa thing N‑UNCOUNT If someone feels self-loathing , they feel great dislike and disgust for themselves.
se lf-ma de ADJ [usu ADJ n] Self-made is used to describe people who have become successful and rich through their own efforts, especially if they started life without money, education, or high social status. □ He is a self-made man. □ …a self-made millionaire.
se lf-obse ssed ADJ If you describe someone as self-obsessed , you are criticizing them for spending too much time thinking about themselves or their own problems. [DISAPPROVAL ]
se lf-pa rody (self-parodies ) N‑VAR Self-parody is a way of performing or behaving in which you exaggerate and make fun of the way you normally perform or behave. □ By the end of his life, his vocals often descended close to self-parody.
se lf-pi ty N‑UNCOUNT Self-pity is a feeling of unhappiness that you have about yourself and your problems, especially when this is unnecessary or greatly exaggerated. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Throughout, he showed no trace of self-pity.
se lf-pi tying ADJ Someone who is self-pitying is full of self-pity. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ At the risk of sounding self-pitying, I'd say it has been harder on me than it has on my sister.
se lf-po rtrait (self-portraits ) N‑COUNT A self-portrait is a drawing, painting, or written description that you do of yourself.
se lf-posse ssed ADJ Someone who is self-possessed is calm and confident and in control of their emotions. □ She is clearly the most articulate and self-possessed member of her family.
se lf-posse ssion N‑UNCOUNT Self-possession is the quality of being self-possessed. □ She found her customary self-possession had deserted her.
se lf-preserva tion N‑UNCOUNT Self-preservation is the action of keeping yourself safe or alive in a dangerous situation, often without thinking about what you are doing. □ The police have the same human urge for self-preservation as the rest of us.
se lf-proclai med
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Self-proclaimed is used to show that someone has given themselves a particular title or status rather than being given it by other people. □ …a self-proclaimed expert. □ He is President of his own self-proclaimed republic.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Self-proclaimed is used to show that someone says themselves that they are a type of person which most people would be embarrassed or ashamed to be. □ One of the prisoners is a self-proclaimed racist who opened fire on a crowd four years ago.
se lf-promo tion N‑UNCOUNT If you accuse someone of self-promotion , you disapprove of them because they are trying to make themselves seem more important than they actually are. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Simpson's ruthless ambition and weakness for self-promotion has not made him the most popular journalist in the BBC.
se lf-rai sing flour N‑UNCOUNT Self-raising flour is flour that makes cakes rise when they are cooked because it has chemicals added to it. [BRIT ] in AM, use self-rising flour
self-referential /se lf re fəre nʃ ə l/ ADJ If you describe something such as a book or film as self-referential , you mean that it is concerned with things such as its own composition or with other similar books or films. □ …self-referential novels about writer's block.
se lf-regula tion N‑UNCOUNT Self-regulation is the controlling of a process or activity by the people or organizations that are involved in it rather than by an outside organization such as the government. □ Competition between companies is too fierce for self-regulation to work.
se lf-regula tory also self-regulating ADJ [usu ADJ n] Self-regulatory systems, organizations, or activities are controlled by the people involved in them, rather than by outside organizations or rules. □ For a self-regulatory system to work, the consent of all those involved is required.
se lf-reli ance N‑UNCOUNT Self-reliance is the ability to do things and make decisions by yourself, without needing other people to help you. □ People learned self-reliance because they had to.
se lf-reli ant ADJ If you are self-reliant , you are able to do things and make decisions by yourself, without needing other people to help you. □ She is intelligent and self-reliant, speaking her mind and not suffering fools gladly.
se lf-respe ct N‑UNCOUNT Self-respect is a feeling of confidence and pride in your own ability and worth. □ They have lost not only their jobs, but their homes and their self-respect.