do-it-yourself

noun

do-it-your·​self ˌdü-i-chər-ˈself 

ˌdü-it-yər-

often attributive

: the activity of doing or making something (as in woodworking or home repair) without professional training or assistance

broadly : an activity in which one does something oneself or on one's own initiative

do-it-yourselfer

ˌdü-i-chər-ˈsel-fər 

ˌdü-it-yər-

noun

Examples of do-it-yourself in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The scene was built around independent artists who self-recorded their own music on cassettes, mailing out their music to one another, and creating an extensive do-it-yourself network. —Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025

Home Depot has been leaning into its pro business, which tends to be less volatile than the do-it-yourself side of the house. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025

Other transformative forces include do-it-yourself tech, the end of customization, the complexity of matrixed organizations, and the challenge of keeping up with ever-shifting regulatory compliance. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025

When considering a standalone storage device optimized for backup data, ensure backup software is segmented from backup storage and avoid integrated appliances and do-it-yourself systems. —David Bennett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for do-it-yourself

• bookshelf
• herself
• himself
• hisself
• itself
• meself
• myself
• nonself
• oneself
• thyself
• yourself
• elf

Kids Definition

do-it-yourself

adjective

do-it-your·​self

ˌdü-ə-chər-ˈself

: of, relating to, or designed for a person without professional training or help to do or make

do-it-yourselfer

-ˈsel-fər

noun