self-knowledge

UK/ˌsɛlfˈnɒl.ɪdʒ/US/ˌsɛlfˈnɑl.ɪdʒ/

noun

Knowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations; self-understanding.

OriginEnglish knowledge ← Middle English self- ← Old English self- →
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Meanings

nounself-knowledge (uncountable)
  1. uncountableKnowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations; self-understanding.
    1 more example

    A girl's love is half poetry, an unconscious preference till startled into self-knowledge. Isabella had been grateful for Mr. Glentworth's kindness—struck with his cultivated mind, and impressed with his distinguished appearance; so were all her sisters; but she alone was timid in expressing that admiration; in her alone had they inspired that feeling, which, shy, vague, and tender, is love.

    1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 144

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
autognosis

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*swé?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*selbʰ-
  3. Proto-Germanic*selbaz
  4. Old Englishself
  5. Old Englishself-
  6. Middle Englishself-
  7. Englishself-
  8. Englishknowledge
  9. Englishself-knowledge

From self- + knowledge.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan autoconeixement
  • autoconeixementknowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
Chinese Mandarin 自知之明
  • 自知之明 (zìzhīzhīmíng)knowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
Czech sebereflexe
  • sebereflexeknowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
Dutch zelfkennis
  • zelfkennisknowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
German Selbsterkenntnis
  • Selbsterkenntnisknowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
Hindi आत्मज्ञान, आत्मबोध
  • आत्मज्ञान (ātmajñān)knowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
  • आत्मबोध (ātmabodh)knowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
Hungarian önismeret
  • önismeretknowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
Irish féinaithne, féinfhios
  • féinaithneknowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
  • féinfhiosknowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
Italian autoconoscenza
  • autoconoscenzaknowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
Polish samowiedza
  • samowiedzaknowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
Russian самопозна́ние
  • самопозна́ние (samopoznánije)knowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
Swedish självkännedom
  • självkännedomknowledge or insight into one's own character, abilities, feelings, or motivations
Cite this entry
APA

self-knowledge. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-knowledge

MLA

“self-knowledge.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-knowledge. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “self-knowledge,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-knowledge.

Source: self-knowledge on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.