SELF-FULFILLMENT Synonyms: 32 Similar Words

self-fulfillment

noun

Definition of self-fulfillment

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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Example Sentences

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.

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 These cultures tend to view divorce as a justifiable and often necessary step toward self-fulfillment. — Mark Travers, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025 For some, turning 60 is experienced as a time for greater clarity and self-awareness, a time to become more purpose driven, of self-fulfillment and resilience. — Helen Dennis, Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-fulfillment

Noun

That spirit was palpable in Demna’s debut show at Gucci, where self-concept and self-actualization seemed to come alive in a way that almost laughed at itself.

— Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
The adaptation stars Ella Bruccoleri as the eponymous Mary, who goes on a voyage of self-actualization in London.

— Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026

Definition of self-actualization

Noun

Stories based in this more complex reality of access are not always heroes’ journeys, marked with clear protagonists and moments of self-realization.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
The result is a strikingly original and surprisingly moving tale of self-realization.

— Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 June 2026

Definition of self-realization

Noun

Firstman’s first several years in the entertainment industry have been their own journey of loopy self-discovery.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
Here, this past year, the Danish/Egyptian architect has made the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre (founded in the early 1950s as a weaving school for children) a place of self-discovery.

— Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of self-discovery

Noun

Beyond Culture is also currently developing a namesake series — a reality-documentary hybrid that takes artists and cultural figures beyond persona and into radical self-exploration.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026
In Linklater’s eyes, college symbolizes a fount of opportunity, a place where people can reinvent themselves, try on different identities, and embrace self-exploration.

— Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of self-exploration

Noun

Three Fitness Villages—at Kite Beach, Zabeel Park and Al Warqa’a—act as free, all-day wellness hubs offering everything from boxing and beach volleyball to spin classes and meditation.

— Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
The private wing, meanwhile, offers two guest bedrooms and a secluded primary suite featuring a bath adorned with a playful arrangement of polished chrome, bubble-like circular wall mirrors of varying sizes, plus a meditation garden with a hot tub.

— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of meditation

Noun

Now, after over a century of studying introspection in humans and animals, researchers are beginning to explore the phenomenon in unlikely new subjects — large language models.

— Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026
On the other, Anthropic has argued that its AI model, Claude, has shown signs of introspection, internal states that mirror joy or satisfaction, and processing information similar to the human mind.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of introspection

Noun

After scoring 43 points on 17-of-25 shooting in last week’s win over Golden State, Booker was asked whether that self-reflection drove his performance.

— Doug Haller, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Later in life, Schwam created Humanity 101, an initiative of Arizona State University’s Project Humanities, promoting the values of compassion, empathy, forgiveness, integrity, kindness, respect and self-reflection.

— Pat Saperstein, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of self-reflection

Noun

This week, for example, France began a national self-examination after youthful protests led to looting and destruction.

— the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026
Pausing to look means being willing to see what is not working, and such honest self-examination is uncomfortable in a way most of us don’t seek out voluntarily.

— Bill Koch, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of self-examination

Browse Nearby Words

self-forgetting

self-fulfillment

self-fulfillments

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Style

“Self-fulfillment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-fulfillment. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of self-fulfillment

noun

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