self-improvement

noun

self-im·​prove·​ment ˌself-im-ˈprüv-mənt How to pronounce self-improvement (audio)
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
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.
Looks-maxxing is an ethos of self-improvement taken to an extreme, and its more explicit inspirations are the pickup artists of early-2000s infamy and the incels of 2010s 4Chan. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026 Produced by Jeff Rosenstock, the new album from ex-Cayetana songwriter Augusta Koch revisits her old band’s punky power-pop with hard-hitting lyrics about self-improvement and communal uplift. Tatiana Tenreyro, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026 The report also cites xAI co-founder Jimmy Ba, who suggests recursive self-improvement loops—where AI autonomously upgrades its own capabilities—could emerge as early as the first half of 2027. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026 Recursive self-improvement is when an AI system starts bettering itself, creating a flywheel that continues accelerating. Harry Booth, Time, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-improvement

Word History

First Known Use

1654, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-improvement was in 1654

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Cite this Entry

“Self-improvement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-improvement. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

self-improvement

noun
self-im·​prove·​ment
ˌsel-ˌfim-ˈprüv-mənt
: improvement of oneself by one's own actions
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