self-help

noun

ˈself-ˈhelp 

Southern also ˈhep

: the action or process of bettering oneself or overcoming one's problems without the aid of others

especially : the coping with one's personal or emotional problems without professional help

self-help adjective

Examples of self-help in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a September interview with The New York Times, bestselling author, podcaster and research professor at the University of Houston Brené Brown was asked about the world of online self-help gurus and her place in it. —Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 13 Nov. 2025

Mack, who played Chloe Sullivan on the CW hit series, spent over a decade as a key member of the cult-like NXIVM organization, a master-slave group masqueraded as a self-help organization whose female followers were branded. —Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025

Episodes will center on a daily theme cued to something McCarthy is passionate about, while segments will also focus on human interest stories, viral trends, and self-help/beauty/wellness. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025

This genuine desire to speak broadly to the human condition can veer, at times, toward New Age self-help. —Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-help

• help
• kelp
• skelp
• whelp
• yelp

Kids Definition

self-help

noun

ˈself-ˈhelp

: the act of bettering oneself or overcoming one's problems without aid of others

Legal Definition

self-help

noun

ˈself-ˈhelp

: the act of redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions rather than through legal proceedings

Note: The Uniform Commercial Code permits creditors to repossess collateral by self-help if it can be done without a breach of the peace.