self-observation

noun

ˌself-ˌäb-sər-ˈvā-shən How to pronounce self-observation (audio)
Definition of self-observationnext
as in introspection
examination of one's own thoughts and feelings some self-observation might give you some insights into how others perceive you

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of self-observation The purpose of this exercise is not to match your paradigm perfectly but to give you a thematic lens for self-observation. — Liz Tran, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2026 Anyone who has tracked their daily steps or worn a glucose monitor can testify that self-observation works. — Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024 Moreover, self-observation might highlight a leader's tendency to let stress visibly affect their demeanor, inadvertently impacting team morale. — Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-observation
  1. introspection
  2. self-reflection
  3. self-examination
  4. soul-searching
  5. self-scrutiny
  6. contemplation
  7. self-contemplation
  8. self-questioning
Noun
  • Ahead of the sound bath, Oso Sound Healing Studio founder Avery Whitmore said the unconventional space would invite a childlike energy, a deeper connection to animals and introspection.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • While tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen may see empathy and introspection as weaknesses, those traits are the beating heart of literature and art, the wellspring of creativity and human connection.
    — Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of introspection
Noun
  • Whether the loss of Jason Arday has prompted any self-reflection for a notoriously ruthless industry remains to be seen, but the headlines about the Sussexes’ move back to Britain have been — so far — surprisingly lukewarm.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The record leaned into self-reflection and self-preservation informed by a divorce, his introduction to fatherhood, and an exploration of his Mexican roots through his signature alternative R&B sound.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of self-reflection
Noun
  • What came of this self-examination were over sixty videos made in high-definition 3D, produced in weekly sessions over the course of more than a year, beginning in February 2025.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Fundamental Questions To Ask CEOs and the board chair should think of the annual review as a self-examination into what is working well today and what can be improved for tomorrow.
    — James Langabeer, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of self-examination
Noun
  • This month is basically like a bridge between the tumultuousness of August’s eclipses and the soul-searching that October’s Venus Retrograde will bring.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
  • There was a lot of soul-searching on my part for all of the right songs.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of soul-searching
Noun
  • And the strategies our minds reach for in moments of doubt—retreat, control, relentless self-scrutiny—can work powerfully against us at the moments that matter most.
    — Karyn Gallant, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • People committed to covenant cannot lose the capacity for moral self-scrutiny.
    — Rabbi Josh Weinberg, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2026
Definition of self-scrutiny
Noun
  • Sister Mary Grace, 76, loves the opportunity for contemplation and the chance to express it artistically.
    — Kelly Wilkinson, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Indeed, Serrano’s image is, to me, comparable to an icon, worthy of sincere contemplation.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of contemplation
Noun
  • After the eclipse wraps, the Sun doubles down on the compulsion toward self-contemplation in partnership with Lilith.
    — Jennifer Culp, Them, 27 Sep. 2024
  • Missing from the fair but important nonetheless is Hsiao Chin, the first and only post-war Chinese artist to convey Eastern philosophical ideas and the concepts of mindfulness and self-contemplation in the Western pictorial language of abstraction.
    — Florence Tsai, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2023
Definition of self-contemplation
Noun
  • This majestic sequence delivers a lifetime’s outpouring of love’s inadequacies and frustrations, of grief and regret, of gratitude along with candid acceptance of loss, and of self-questioning that never shakes the foundations of the family—her ferocious commitment to the children.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
  • After long periods of grief, reflection and painful self-questioning, most of the families interviewed by The Charlotte Observer no longer seem interested in reducing their children’s deaths to any one thing.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026
Definition of self-questioning

Browse Nearby Words

selfness
self-observation
self-observations
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Cite this Entry

“Self-observation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-observation. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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