: made such by one's own actions
especially : having achieved success or prominence by one's own efforts
a self-made man

Examples of self-made in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In contrast to the tech sector, where leaders tend to be young and self-made, when working with those coming from inherently hierarchical fields, one’s first challenge as a coach is often convincing clients that leadership is a realistic aspiration. - Carol Geffner, CB Vision LLC. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Without a publicist, gossip blogs, a reality show, or paparazzi following him about Europe to document his every indiscretion, his reputation was self-made — and self-promoted. Gaile Robinson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024 While students can pin photos onto corkboards, there are other creative ways to frame pictures, such as suspending them from an overhead chandelier or hanging them from a clothes lines strung across the wall, either of which can be bought or self-made. Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024 Among new billionaires, those who inherited their standing had more wealth than those who were self-made, according to a UBS survey published Thursday. Juliet Chung, WSJ, 30 Nov. 2023 So the drinks and parties and vacations and boat trips, or finally being able to settle down in that place by the beach, became consolations for past troubles — even if those troubles were self-made. Jon Pareles, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2023 Burton’s book reads largely as a cautionary tale about complacently accepting the myth of being self-made. Rhoda Feng, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2023 The 16-year-old runs her own multiplatform empire, forging a path for a new kind of child star — one who is self-made, self-grown and only then turning to Hollywood to unlock another level of success. Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 June 2023 Collaborativeness In a real sense, no one is self-made. Abiola Salami, Forbes, 4 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-made.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-made was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near self-made

Cite this Entry

“Self-made.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-made. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

self-made

adjective
ˈself-ˈmād
1
: made by one's own actions
2
: raised from poverty by one's own efforts
a self-made person

More from Merriam-Webster on self-made

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!