selfhood

noun

self·​hood ˈself-ˌhu̇d 

1

: individuality

2

: the quality or state of being selfish

Synonyms of selfhood

• identity
• personality

Examples of selfhood in a Sentence

he spent a year in a monastery determining the core of his selfhood

Recent Examples on the Web

When motherhood is no longer defined as a duty, new possibilities for female selfhood emerge. — Rafaela Bassili, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026

The book’s post-apocalyptic setting ennobles its meditations on selfhood and finitude; the narrator’s search for perpetuity is lent an unshakable gravity by her circumstances. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

This is, at times, a wrenching novel, strewn with broken bodies, but its atrocities never overwhelm its faith in creaturely communion, and in grief and longing that clarify, rather than obscure, one’s desires and selfhood. — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Neptune can represent imagination, spirituality, idealism and illusion, while Aries is concerned with selfhood, courage and initiation. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for selfhood

• allgood
• basswood
• beechwood
• bellwood
• birchwood
• boxwood
• boyhood
• brushwood
• childhood
• cordwood
• dogwood
• driftwood

Kids Definition

selfhood

noun

self·​hood ˈself-ˌhu̇d 

: individuality sense 1