self-help

noun

ˈself-ˈhelp How to pronounce self-help (audio)
 Southern also  ˈhep
: the action or process of bettering oneself or overcoming one's problems without the aid of others
especially : the coping with one's personal or emotional problems without professional help
self-help adjective

Examples of self-help in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead, people read it like a self-help book. Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025 The origins of that industry really are self-help cults from the '70s that use these really kind of barbaric behavioral therapy modification programs. Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025 A lot of those schools evolved from self-help cults in the 1970s, like Synanon. Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 23 Sep. 2025 Sia’s work has a tendency toward self-help-style inspiration, a quality Saturday Church does not need more of. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-help

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-help was in 1628

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Cite this Entry

“Self-help.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-help. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

self-help

noun
ˈself-ˈhelp
: the act of bettering oneself or overcoming one's problems without aid of others

Legal Definition

self-help

noun
ˈself-ˈhelp
: the act of redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions rather than through legal proceedings

Note: The Uniform Commercial Code permits creditors to repossess collateral by self-help if it can be done without a breach of the peace.

More from Merriam-Webster on self-help

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