self-worth

noun

ˌself-ˈwərth 

: 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

On the flip side, this aspect can also spark breakthroughs that contribute to the decision to set boundaries and to own your self-worth. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026

And remember, your self-worth shouldn’t rise and fall with a performance review. —Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026

Small, honest steps heal bonds and strengthen everyday self-worth. —Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026

From the witness stand, KGM testified that using social media affected her self-worth, as she got further drawn into the apps and withdrew from friends and family. —Bobby Allyn, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-worth

• childbirth
• rebirth
• stillbirth
• tamworth
• unearth
• afterbirth
• berth
• birth
• dearth
• earth
• firth
• girth

Kids Definition

self-worth

noun

-ˈwərth

: self-esteem