Meanings
nounend in itself (plural ends in themselves)
plural ends in themselves · alternative end-in-itself
- Something that is desired for its own sake, and not as a means of obtaining something else.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 目的自身
- 目的自身something desired for itself
Czech cíl sám o sobě, cíl o sobě
- cíl sám o soběsomething desired for itself
- cíl o soběsomething desired for itself
- samoúčelsomething desired for itself
Danish mål i sig selv
- mål i sig selvsomething desired for itself
Dutch doel op zich, doel op zichzelf
- doel op zichsomething desired for itself
- doel op zichzelfsomething desired for itself
Finnish päämäärä sinänsä, päämäärä itsessään
- päämäärä sinänsäsomething desired for itself
- päämäärä itsessäänsomething desired for itself
- tavoite itsessäänsomething desired for itself
- itsetarkoitussomething desired for itself
French fin en soi
- fin en soisomething desired for itself
German Selbstzweck
- Selbstzwecksomething desired for itself
Greek αυτοσκοπός
- αυτοσκοπός (aftoskopós)something desired for itself
Hungarian öncél
- öncélsomething desired for itself
Italian fine a se stesso
- fine a se stessosomething desired for itself
Polish cel sam w sobie
- cel sam w sobiesomething desired for itself
Russian самоце́ль
- самоце́ль (samocélʹ)something desired for itself
Spanish fin en sí mismo
- fin en sí mismosomething desired for itself
Swedish självändamål
- självändamålsomething desired for itself
Ukrainian самоці́ль
- самоці́ль (samocílʹ)something desired for itself
Cite this entry
APA
end in itself. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/end%20in%20itself
MLA
“end in itself.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/end%20in%20itself. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “end in itself,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/end%20in%20itself.
Source: end in itself on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.