self-worth

noun

: a sense of one's own value as a human being : self-esteem
feelings of self-worth
a lack of self-worth
helping to build/develop self-worth
people with low/greater/higher self-worth
Too often, college students base their self-worth solely on their GPA.Marcia Morris
… jobs that gave them not only wages and health care and pensions but also a context, a sense of self-worth, a kind of identity.Lance Morrow
… a five-minute film that touches on themes of building inner strength and developing a strong sense of self-worth.Natalie Proulx

Examples of self-worth 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.
By October 23rd, when the Sun slides into Scorpio, the tone deepens — and your focus turns to your values, resources, and inner self-worth. Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 19 Oct. 2025 Following a young woman navigating life after growing up in an orphanage, the film transforms her shrinking apartment into a dreamlike maze of memory and loss, using striking visual metaphors to explore belonging, self-worth, and the fragile hope of starting over. Essie Assibu, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025 Learning of the victories and complexities in Black people’s history not only built self-worth, but acted as a non-physical weapon for self defense to survive oppressive systems. Taylor Cassidy, Time, 15 Oct. 2025 Associate net worth with self-worth (for you and others). Big Think, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-worth

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-worth was in 1815

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Cite this Entry

“Self-worth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-worth. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

self-worth

noun
-ˈwərth

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