Standard Lemma guide

self-improvement

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: S EH1 L F IH0 M P R UW1 V M AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The following of a disciplined programme to improve one's physical health, mental health or character.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The bettering of one's status.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the act of improving yourself

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: self-reformation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: improvement

Narrower terms: autosuggestion, auto-suggestion, self-suggestion, reform

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 improvement English self-improvement From self- + improvement.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: самоусъвърше́нстване (samousǎvǎršénstvane) — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自我改善 (zìwǒ gǎishàn) — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自我修養 /自我修养 (zìwǒ xiūyǎng) — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自強 /自强 (zìqiáng) — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Czech: sebezdokonalování — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Dutch: persoonlijke ontwikkeling — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Estonian: enesetäiendus — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Finnish: itsensä kehittäminen — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • French: développement personnel — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • German: Selbstverbesserung — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • German: Selbstentwicklung — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • German: persönliche Weiterbildung — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Greek: αυτοβελτίωση (aftoveltíosi) — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Italian: automiglioramento — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Italian: autoperfezionamento — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Macedonian: самоподобрување (samopodobruvanje) — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Malagasy: fampihatsaran-tena — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Malagasy: fihatsaran-tena — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Polish: rozwój osobisty — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Russian: самосоверше́нствование (samosoveršénstvovanije) — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Serbian: самоусавршавање — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Serbian: samousavršavanje — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Slovak: sebazdokonaľovanie — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Spanish: superación personal — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Spanish: autosuperación — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Ukrainian: самовдоскона́лення (samovdoskonálennja) — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Ukrainian: самоудоскона́лення (samoudoskonálennja) — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character
  • Vietnamese: tự cải tiến — following a disciplined programme to improve one’s health or character