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

As a mom with a new baby, Salazar finds that waking up at 7 a.m. affords her time to prioritize self-care. —Renée Onque, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2025

Muller urged mothers to view self-care as essential to parenting well. —Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025

Below, Williams explains Gaby’s relationship woes, her own self-care routine, much needed character conversations and why the series relates to so many people. —Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2025

Sometimes my evenings, too, are an exercise in box-checking, dissociation, and faux self-care, my body piloted by a brain that has never quite switched off work mode. —Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2025

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