Meanings
plural self-improvements
- countableuncountableThe following of a disciplined programme to improve one's physical health, mental health or character.
He believes that self-improvement and its growing popularity are symptoms of what he calls individualism.
2019 May 2, Nina Avramova, “When you should use self-help programs and when to skip them”, in CNN, archived from the original on 13 Jun 2025 - countableuncountableThe bettering of one's status.
Ambition and self-improvement are certainly not negatives, although one potential downside to being more self-conscious—especially for punk bands—is muted urgency.
2017 January 20, Annie Zaleski, “AFI sounds refreshed and rejuvenated on its 10th album, AFI (The Blood Album)”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 07 Oct 20181 more example
In the year 1851 a small group of workmen in the Locomotive Department of the old Midland Railway Company at Derby met for self-improvement, and formed what was then known as a "reading society".
1944 May and June, Arthur B. Longbottom, “The Derby Railway Institute”, in Railway Magazine, page 149
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*swé?
- Proto-Indo-European*selbʰ-
- Proto-Germanic*selbaz
- Old Englishself
- Old Englishself-
- Middle Englishself-
- Englishself-
- Englishimprovement
- Englishself-improvement
From self- + improvement.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian самоусъвърше́нстване
- самоусъвърше́нстване (samousăvăršénstvane)following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Chinese Mandarin 自我改善, 自我修養 /自我修养
- 自我改善 (zìwǒ gǎishàn)following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
- 自我修養 /自我修养 (zìwǒ xiūyǎng)following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
- 自強 /自强 (zìqiáng)following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Czech sebezdokonalování
- sebezdokonalovánífollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Dutch persoonlijke ontwikkeling
- persoonlijke ontwikkelingfollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Estonian enesetäiendus
- enesetäiendusfollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Finnish itsensä kehittäminen
- itsensä kehittäminenfollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
French développement personnel
- développement personnelfollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
German Selbstverbesserung, Selbstentwicklung
- Selbstverbesserungfollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
- Selbstentwicklungfollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
- persönliche Weiterbildungfollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Greek αυτοβελτίωση
- αυτοβελτίωση (aftoveltíosi)following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Italian automiglioramento, autoperfezionamento
- automiglioramentofollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
- autoperfezionamentofollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Polish rozwój osobisty
- rozwój osobistyfollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Russian самосоверше́нствование
- самосоверше́нствование (samosoveršénstvovanije)following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Slovak sebazdokonaľovanie
- sebazdokonaľovaniefollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Spanish superación personal, autosuperación
- superación personalfollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
- autosuperaciónfollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Ukrainian самовдоскона́лення, самоудоскона́лення
- самовдоскона́лення (samovdoskonálennja)following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
- самоудоскона́лення (samoudoskonálennja)following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Vietnamese tự cải tiến
- tự cải tiếnfollowing a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
Cite this entry
self-improvement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-improvement
“self-improvement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-improvement. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “self-improvement,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-improvement.
Source: self-improvement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.