as in self-actualization
the feeling of being happy and satisfied because you are doing something that fully uses your abilities and talents
She found self-fulfillment by starting her own business.
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Recent Examples of self-fulfillment
But this is a Norman Lear comedy after all (his last before passing in late 2023) — so by the end of the first episode, the hilarious sitcom has revealed its true interest in acceptance, forgiveness, and self-fulfillment.
—
Michael Cuby, Them., 17 Nov. 2025
And increasingly, women are choosing solitude and self-fulfillment over unsatisfying relationships.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Founders have a wide range of personal reasons for making the pivot, from seeking self-fulfillment to meeting a strategic need in their next chapter.
—Nina Ajemian, Fortune, 24 July 2025
Turner-Seed’s own writing lays bare a struggle for self-fulfillment, to reconcile the traditional values pushed by her Jewish immigrant parents with a restless need to discover and make her own way.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
The film explores the dilemma of choosing between self-fulfillment and familial obligations, showing how Joyce learns to embrace her mother’s modern family business and reflecting on the challenges of a globalized generation.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Maslow's model highlights the importance of psychological and self-fulfillment needs.
—Raquel Gomes, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
These cultures tend to view divorce as a justifiable and often necessary step toward self-fulfillment.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
This is Mascaro’s most humane film to date, which isn’t to say that August Winds and Neon Bull weren’t also grounded in the individual’s struggle for self-fulfillment outside the strictures of bourgeois circumscribed society.
—Jay D. Weissberg, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025
Michael Cuby, Them., 17 Nov. 2025
And increasingly, women are choosing solitude and self-fulfillment over unsatisfying relationships.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Founders have a wide range of personal reasons for making the pivot, from seeking self-fulfillment to meeting a strategic need in their next chapter.
—Nina Ajemian, Fortune, 24 July 2025
Turner-Seed’s own writing lays bare a struggle for self-fulfillment, to reconcile the traditional values pushed by her Jewish immigrant parents with a restless need to discover and make her own way.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
The film explores the dilemma of choosing between self-fulfillment and familial obligations, showing how Joyce learns to embrace her mother’s modern family business and reflecting on the challenges of a globalized generation.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Maslow's model highlights the importance of psychological and self-fulfillment needs.
—Raquel Gomes, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
These cultures tend to view divorce as a justifiable and often necessary step toward self-fulfillment.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
This is Mascaro’s most humane film to date, which isn’t to say that August Winds and Neon Bull weren’t also grounded in the individual’s struggle for self-fulfillment outside the strictures of bourgeois circumscribed society.
—Jay D. Weissberg, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-fulfillment
- self-actualization
- self-realization
- self-discovery
- self-exploration
- meditation
- introspection
- self-reflection
- self-examination
Noun
-
Stephanie Ahn 1 hour 59 minutes Bedford Park, Stephanie Ahn’s poignant directorial debut, follows Audrey on her path toward something like self-actualization, sparked by a chance encounter with a similarly lonely soul.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Leaving, at the time, was seen as a temporary sacrifice, something connected to work and supporting a family, not to self-realization.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Taking the main character’s famous journey of self-realization every night.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Readers get an immersive experience into the world of teenagers on their own journeys of exploration and self-discovery among the woods of the rural South.—
Amanda Favazza,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
-
At the same time, Neptune, your celestial ruler, enters Aries, shifting your focus from self-discovery to self-worth.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Its red rock buttes are said to house mysterious cosmic forces conducive to healing and self-exploration.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This rigorous self-exploration continued past the point that his disease cost him control of his hands.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
As father and son venture deeper into the wilderness, their journey becomes a meditation on grief, survival and the meaning of paternal instinct.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Wellness Amenities Wellness practices at home will continue to be a priority for 2026 and people will look to renovate their homes to include amenities like home gyms, saunas, and meditation rooms.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Philosophy is a practice of wonder and logic; curiosity and introspection; dialectic and meditation; criticism and advocacy.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Like its predecessors, the album incorporates Ant’s sticky signature beats on production and Daley’s clever rhymes, leading listeners through a world full of literary devices that drive introspection and sometimes the everyday insecurity of existence.—
Charlie Vargas,
Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This short is uniquely brilliant in its ability to balance laugh-out-loud levity with the emotional pain of honest self-reflection.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
-
And, for that matter, that Rahman has undergone the necessary self-reflection and growth during his years in the political wilderness to truly become a leader for his people.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In an era where analytics and ever-growing coaching staffs allow teams to self-scout every week, the Patriots seem to have taken a more traditional approach and decided on a makeover after a self-examination last month during their bye.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
17 Jan. 2026
-
Some time spent in self-examination could yield new insights.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-fulfillment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-fulfillment. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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