self-care

noun

ˌself-ˈker 

: care for oneself

stroke victims capable of daily self-care

the necessity of busy working parents to take time for self-care

specifically : health care provided by oneself often without the consultation of a medical professional

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are a common route for self-care, and consumers are eagerly using them …

—Alison Stein Wellner

—sometimes used before another noun

At-home screening is one side of the burgeoning self-care movement …

—Stephen Rae

Examples of self-care in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fifty-two percent of Americans, and 66% of Gen Z and millennials, call kidulting one of their main forms of self-care. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

When To Get Help Sometimes self-care isn’t enough and your day-to-day life or relationships can still be affected. — Parents, 17 Oct. 2026

For teens building their first skincare habits or women redefining self-care as something for themselves rather than for others, this mist is a small but meaningful reminder that confidence can be self-made. — Ethan Stone october 9, Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026

When the relationship ended two years later, Sarah redirected her energy to self-care, which had a remarkable effect. — Georgia Casey, Allure, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-care

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Medical Definition

self-care

noun

-ˈke(ə)r 

: care for oneself : self-treatment