self-love
noun
: love of self: such as
a
: an appreciation of one's own worth or virtue
Self-love begins when we observe our actions and words with compassion as if we were our own best friend.—
Sara M Bosworth
Sara M BosworthJust as you'd think, it's love—particular, self-love—that makes the world go around.—Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.Often we are reluctant to promote self-love mostly because we confuse it with selfishness. Since we are humans, we ought to have a healthy love for ourselves; it is from this fount that love flows out to others.—Mason Olds
Mason Olds
b
: proper regard for and attention to one's own happiness or well-being
Nurturing your body seems simple, but for me it feels like an extreme act of self-love.—Danielle d'Entremont
Danielle d'EntremontLisa Concepcion, a certified professional love life coach and founder of LoveQuest Coaching, says that journaling is an excellent way to practice self-love.—SheKnows
SheKnows
c
: inflated love of or pride in oneself : narcissism, conceit
… individuals ruled by self-love and selfishness …—John Saillant
John Saillant"Then from myself pray understand that I will say nothing to flatter your self-love."—Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope… there was the self-love of those conceited blockheads who … were convinced that they themselves were superior to anything the age could produce.—John Clive
John CliveExamples of self-love in a Sentence
nurtured a self-love that was far greater than any affection she ever felt for another person
Recent Examples on the Web
The truth is, learning to appreciate quality time with yourself is one of the most freeing forms of self-love there is.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 13 Oct. 2025
The bedtime stories explore themes like bravery, acceptance and self-love, and are printed in both braille and text.
—Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
There’s a layer of self-love to the record, too.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
Her songs discuss not only romantic love, but self-love and platonic love as well.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-love
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Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 13 Oct. 2025
The bedtime stories explore themes like bravery, acceptance and self-love, and are printed in both braille and text.
—Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
There’s a layer of self-love to the record, too.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
Her songs discuss not only romantic love, but self-love and platonic love as well.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-love
Cite this Entry
“Self-love.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-love. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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