self-improvement

noun

self-im·​prove·​ment ˌself-im-ˈprüv-mənt 

plural self-improvements

: the act or process of improving oneself by one's own actions

individuals interested in self-improvement

opportunities for self-improvement

also : an instance or result of such improvement

You don't need to wait to ring in the new year to start making self-improvements, because it's always a good time.

—Nicole Yi

—often used before another noun

self-improvement efforts

a self-improvement blog

Examples of self-improvement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many of the biggest AI safety fears revolve around advanced models getting increasingly capable at improving their own performance, a technique known as recursive self-improvement, or RSI. — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

Laine didn’t have the same obsession for off-ice nutrition, exercise and self-improvement as the Jets veterans of his day. — Murat Ates, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

On the other hand, a lot of hippies turned inward, toward spiritualism and self-improvement. — Maggie McGowan, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026

Most books on strength are prescriptive arguments for programs of self-improvement. — Michael Joseph Gross, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1654, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-improvement

• improvement
• movement

Kids Definition

self-improvement

noun

self-im·​prove·​ment

ˌsel-ˌfim-ˈprüv-mənt

: improvement of oneself by one's own actions