self-enhancement

noun

self-en·​hance·​ment ˌself-in-ˈhan(t)-smənt 

-en-

plural self-enhancements

: the act or process of improving or enhancing oneself or one's self-esteem

These dermatologic procedures are becoming viewed by men as a method of self-enhancement, like eating well, wearing nice clothes or going to the gym.

—Katie Chang

The study is the first to establish a cause-and-effect link between thinking positively about oneself (self-enhancement) and psychological wellbeing.

—Debbie Juniewicz

Examples of self-enhancement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Makeup and plastic surgery have long been at the center of cultural debates about how much self-enhancement or self-expression is too much. —Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023

Now, the problem here is that we are motivated by self-enhancement. —Laura Newberry, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above