self-service

self-ser·vice
UK/sɛlfˈsɜː.vɪs/US/sɛlfˈsɜɹ.vɪs/

noun

The practice of serving oneself, usually when purchasing items.

Opposite
full-service
OriginEnglish service ← Middle English servise ← Old English serfis →
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Meanings

nounself-service (uncountable)
  1. attributiveoftenuncountableThe practice of serving oneself, usually when purchasing items.

    On the opposite side of the concourse is the triple-counter ticket office and three self-service machines which are adjacent to a large customer service counter and the gateline.

    2022 January 12, Paul Bigland, “Fab Four: the nation's finest stations: Wakefield Kirkgate”, in RAIL, number 948, page 29

    Antonyms: full-service

  2. euphemistichumorousuncountableMasturbation.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe practice of serving oneself, usually when purchasing items.

Opposite
full-service
Also see
self-serve

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. Proto-Indo-European*ser-der.?
  9. Proto-Italic*serwos
  10. Latinservus
  11. Latinservitium
  12. Old Frenchservise
  13. Old Englishserfis
  14. Middle Englishservise
  15. Englishservice
  16. Englishself-service

From self- + service.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic خِدْمَة ذَاتِيَّة
  • خِدْمَة ذَاتِيَّةthe practice of serving oneself
Bulgarian самообслу́жване
  • самообслу́жване (samoobslúžvane)the practice of serving oneself
Catalan autoservei
  • autoserveithe practice of serving oneself
Chinese Mandarin 自助服務 /自助服务, 自助
  • 自助服務 /自助服务 (zìzhù fúwù)the practice of serving oneself
  • 自助 (zìzhù)the practice of serving oneself
  • 自我服務 /自我服务 (zìwǒ fúwù)the practice of serving oneself
Czech samoobsluha
  • samoobsluhathe practice of serving oneself
Danish selvbetjening
  • selvbetjeningthe practice of serving oneself
Dutch zelfbediening
  • zelfbedieningthe practice of serving oneself
Finnish itsepalvelu
  • itsepalveluthe practice of serving oneself
French self-service, libre-service
  • self-servicethe practice of serving oneself
  • libre-servicethe practice of serving oneself
German Selbstbedienung
  • Selbstbedienungthe practice of serving oneself
Greek αυτοεξυπηρέτηση
  • αυτοεξυπηρέτηση (aftoexypirétisi)the practice of serving oneself
Hungarian önkiszolgálás
  • önkiszolgálásthe practice of serving oneself
Indonesian swalayan
  • swalayanthe practice of serving oneself
Irish féinseirbhís, féinfhreastal
  • féinseirbhísthe practice of serving oneself
  • féinfhreastalthe practice of serving oneself
Italian autoservizio, libero servizio
  • autoserviziothe practice of serving oneself
  • libero serviziothe practice of serving oneself
  • servisolthe practice of serving oneself
  • fai da tethe practice of serving oneself
  • tavola caldathe practice of serving oneself
  • self-servicethe practice of serving oneself
Japanese セルフサービス, セルフ
  • セルフサービス (serufu sābisu)the practice of serving oneself
  • セルフ (serufu)the practice of serving oneself
Korean 셀프 서비스, 셀프
  • 셀프 서비스 (selpeu seobiseu)the practice of serving oneself
  • 셀프 (selpeu)the practice of serving oneself
Lithuanian savitarna
  • savitarnathe practice of serving oneself
Norwegian Bokmål selvbetjent
  • selvbetjentthe practice of serving oneself
Polish samoobsługa
  • samoobsługathe practice of serving oneself
Portuguese self-service, autosserviço
  • self-servicethe practice of serving oneself
  • autosserviçothe practice of serving oneself
  • livre-serviçothe practice of serving oneself
Russian самообслу́живание
  • самообслу́живание (samoobslúživanije)the practice of serving oneself
Slovak samoobsluha
  • samoobsluhathe practice of serving oneself
Spanish autoservicio, self-service (selfservis)
  • autoserviciothe practice of serving oneself
  • self-service (selfservis)the practice of serving oneself
Swedish självbetjäning
  • självbetjäningthe practice of serving oneself
Ukrainian самообслуго́вування, самообслу́га
  • самообслуго́вування (samoobsluhóvuvannja)the practice of serving oneself
  • самообслу́га (samoobslúha)the practice of serving oneself
Vietnamese tự phục vụ
  • tự phục vụthe practice of serving oneself

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with self-service

diaper service
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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