noun · 3 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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CMU ARPABET:S EH1 L F HH EH1 L P
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The practice of bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
a self-help book
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An act of redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions rather than through legal proceedings.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: law
Examples
self-help repossession
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
the act of helping or improving yourself without relying on anyone else
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: aid, assist, assistance, help
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 help English self-help From self- + help.
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
autoajuda
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Chinese Mandarin:
勵志 /励志
(lìzhì)
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Chinese Mandarin:
成功學 /成功学
(chénggōngxué)
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Czech:
svépomoc
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Danish:
selvhjælp
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Dutch:
zelfhulp
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Dutch:
zelfhelp
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Finnish:
itseapu
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Galician:
autoaxuda
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
German:
Selbsthilfe
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Greek:
αυτοβοήθεια
(aftovoḯtheia)
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Gujarati:
સ્વસહાય
(svashāya)
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Hungarian:
önsegítés
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Hungarian:
önsegély
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Hungarian:
önsegélyezés
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Irish:
féinchabhair
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Irish:
féinchúnamh
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Italian:
autoaiuto
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Macedonian:
самопомош
(samopomoš)
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Polish:
samopomoc
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Portuguese:
auto-ajuda
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Serbo-Croatian:
samopomoć
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Spanish:
autoayuda
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Swedish:
självhjälp
— bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others
Chinese Mandarin:
自助
(zìzhù)
— redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions
Chinese Mandarin:
自力救濟 /自力救济
(zìlì jiùjì)
— redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions
Finnish:
oma apu
— redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions
Japanese:
自力救済
(jiriki kyūsai)
— redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions
Korean:
자력구제
(jaryeokguje)
— redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions
