noun · 4 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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Received-Pronunciation:/sɛlfˈsɜː.vɪs/
General-American:/sɛlfˈsɜɹ.vɪs/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)vɪs
1
noun
Meaning 1
The practice of serving oneself, usually when purchasing items.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: attributive, often, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: full-service
Broader terms: service
2
noun
Meaning 2
Masturbation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: euphemistic, humorous, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective
Meaning 3
of or denoting an establishment (a restaurant or shop etc.) where customers serve themselves
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the practice of serving yourself (as in a grocery or cafeteria)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: service
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- Proto-Indo-European *ser-der.? Proto-Italic *serwos Latin servus Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin -itia Latin servitiumbor. Old French servisebor. Old English serfis Middle English servise English service English self-service From self- + service.
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
خِدْمَة ذَاتِيَّة
— the practice of serving oneself
Belarusian:
самаабслуго́ўванне
(samaabsluhówvannje)
— the practice of serving oneself
Bulgarian:
самообслу́жване
(samoobslúžvane)
— the practice of serving oneself
Catalan:
autoservei
— the practice of serving oneself
Chinese Mandarin:
自助服務 /自助服务
(zìzhù fúwù)
— the practice of serving oneself
Chinese Mandarin:
自助
(zìzhù)
— the practice of serving oneself
Chinese Mandarin:
自我服務 /自我服务
(zìwǒ fúwù)
— the practice of serving oneself
Czech:
samoobsluha
— the practice of serving oneself
Danish:
selvbetjening
— the practice of serving oneself
Dutch:
zelfbediening
— the practice of serving oneself
Finnish:
itsepalvelu
— the practice of serving oneself
French:
self-service
— the practice of serving oneself
French:
libre-service
— the practice of serving oneself
Galician:
autoservizo
— the practice of serving oneself
Georgian:
თვითმომსახურება
(tvitmomsaxureba)
— the practice of serving oneself
German:
Selbstbedienung
— the practice of serving oneself
Greek:
αυτοεξυπηρέτηση
(aftoexypirétisi)
— the practice of serving oneself
Hungarian:
önkiszolgálás
— the practice of serving oneself
Indonesian:
swalayan
— the practice of serving oneself
Irish:
féinseirbhís
— the practice of serving oneself
Irish:
féinfhreastal
— the practice of serving oneself
Italian:
autoservizio
— the practice of serving oneself
Italian:
libero servizio
— the practice of serving oneself
Italian:
servisol
— the practice of serving oneself
Italian:
fai da te
— the practice of serving oneself
Italian:
tavola calda
— the practice of serving oneself
Italian:
self-service
— the practice of serving oneself
Japanese:
セルフサービス
(serufu sābisu)
— the practice of serving oneself
Japanese:
セルフ
(serufu)
— the practice of serving oneself
Korean:
셀프 서비스
(selpeu seobiseu)
— the practice of serving oneself
Korean:
셀프
(selpeu)
— the practice of serving oneself
Lithuanian:
savitarna
— the practice of serving oneself
Macedonian:
самопослужување
(samoposlužuvanje)
— the practice of serving oneself
Norwegian Bokmål:
selvbetjent
— the practice of serving oneself
Polish:
samoobsługa
— the practice of serving oneself
Portuguese:
self-service
— the practice of serving oneself
Portuguese:
autosserviço
— the practice of serving oneself
Portuguese:
livre-serviço
— the practice of serving oneself
Russian:
самообслу́живание
(samoobslúživanije)
— the practice of serving oneself
Serbo-Croatian:
самопослужи́ва̄ње
— the practice of serving oneself
Serbo-Croatian:
samoposlužívānje
— the practice of serving oneself
Slovak:
samoobsluha
— the practice of serving oneself
Spanish:
autoservicio
— the practice of serving oneself
Spanish:
self-service (selfservis)
— the practice of serving oneself
Swedish:
självbetjäning
— the practice of serving oneself
Ukrainian:
самообслуго́вування
(samoobsluhóvuvannja)
— the practice of serving oneself
Ukrainian:
самообслу́га
(samoobslúha)
— the practice of serving oneself
Vietnamese:
tự phục vụ
— the practice of serving oneself