SELF-OBSERVATION Synonyms: 31 Similar Words

self-observation

noun

ˌself-ˌäb-sər-ˈvā-shən

Definition of self-observation

as in introspection

examination of one's own thoughts and feelings some self-observation might give you some insights into how others perceive you

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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-observation The purpose of this exercise is not to match your paradigm perfectly but to give you a thematic lens for self-observation. — Liz Tran, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2026 Anyone who has tracked their daily steps or worn a glucose monitor can testify that self-observation works. — Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024 Moreover, self-observation might highlight a leader's tendency to let stress visibly affect their demeanor, inadvertently impacting team morale. — Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-observation

Noun

Leaders with curiosity who ask deeper questions, seek new perspectives and pause for introspection will be in great demand.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Then came Lyrics for Sanity and The Sunrise Project, on which Songer reached new levels of poetic introspection.

— Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2026

Definition of introspection

Noun

Answering these questions takes time, effort, and thorough self-reflection, and a standout project simply cannot be rushed.

— Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Parents don’t need to feel guilty if their teens aren’t constantly busy—unstructured time can foster self-reflection and relaxation.

— Melissa Willets, Parents, 16 July 2026

Definition of self-reflection

Noun

When creating the novel, Akil was inspired by the collective interest in self-examination and the interior self.

— Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
In fact, much of our technology is designed to distract us from, or worse, replace this loop of self-examination and improvement.

— Arianna Huffington, Time, 29 June 2026

Definition of self-examination

Noun

While resilience was the catchphrase of the first quarter among bank CEOs, the latest blowout quarter may be prompting a bit of soul-searching.

— Diane Brady, Fortune, 16 July 2026
But defeat left Koeman looking powerless and the Netherlands in need of new energy and new ideas as thoughts turn to the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign and an increasingly familiar period of soul-searching for Dutch football.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 June 2026

Definition of soul-searching

Noun

And the strategies our minds reach for in moments of doubt—retreat, control, relentless self-scrutiny—can work powerfully against us at the moments that matter most.

— Karyn Gallant, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
People committed to covenant cannot lose the capacity for moral self-scrutiny.

— Rabbi Josh Weinberg, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2026

Definition of self-scrutiny

Noun

The gallery, which connects the Apollo Rotunda and the Salon Carré, will serve as a space for strolling and contemplation within the museum, according to the release.

— Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 22 July 2026
May talked about her gender but also what sounded like contemplations of self-harm.

— Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 18 July 2026

Definition of contemplation

Noun

After the eclipse wraps, the Sun doubles down on the compulsion toward self-contemplation in partnership with Lilith.

— Jennifer Culp, Them, 27 Sep. 2024
Missing from the fair but important nonetheless is Hsiao Chin, the first and only post-war Chinese artist to convey Eastern philosophical ideas and the concepts of mindfulness and self-contemplation in the Western pictorial language of abstraction.

— Florence Tsai, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2023

Definition of self-contemplation

Noun

This majestic sequence delivers a lifetime’s outpouring of love’s inadequacies and frustrations, of grief and regret, of gratitude along with candid acceptance of loss, and of self-questioning that never shakes the foundations of the family—her ferocious commitment to the children.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
After long periods of grief, reflection and painful self-questioning, most of the families interviewed by The Charlotte Observer no longer seem interested in reducing their children’s deaths to any one thing.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026

Definition of self-questioning

Browse Nearby Words

selfness

self-observation

self-observations

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“Self-observation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-observation. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of self-observation

noun

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