selfhood

noun

self·​hood ˈself-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce selfhood (audio)
Synonyms of selfhoodnext
1
: individuality
2
: the quality or state of being selfish

Synonyms of selfhood

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of selfhood in a Sentence

he spent a year in a monastery determining the core of his selfhood
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The museum acquired thirteen works from the 2026 edition, which was curated by Ellie Buttrose and explored the effects of pressure on materials, selfhood and society. — News Desk, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 Cusk, a Canadian-Brit educated at Oxford, has long been laurelled and condemned for her ruthless chronicles of selfhood. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026 When motherhood is no longer defined as a duty, new possibilities for female selfhood emerge. — Rafaela Bassili, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026 The book’s post-apocalyptic setting ennobles its meditations on selfhood and finitude; the narrator’s search for perpetuity is lent an unshakable gravity by her circumstances. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for selfhood

Word History

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of selfhood was in 1568

Rhymes for selfhood

See All Rhymes for selfhood

Browse Nearby Words

self-heterodyne
selfhood
self-humbling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Selfhood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selfhood. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All