Standard Lemma guide

self-effacement

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of keeping oneself in the background, as in humility.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • John likes to remain unnoticed and does so naturally through the self-effacement found in his personality.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

withdrawing into the background; making yourself inconspicuous

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: effacement

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: withdrawal

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbh-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English effacement English self-effacement From self- + effacement.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: vaatimattomuus — keeping in the background
  • Hungarian: visszahúzódás — keeping in the background
  • Hungarian: félrehúzódás — keeping in the background
  • Hungarian: háttérbe húzódás — keeping in the background
  • Hungarian: háttérben maradás — keeping in the background
  • Persian: محو (mahv) — keeping in the background
  • Swedish: självutplåning — keeping in the background