Definition of selfhoodnext
as in identity
the set of qualities that make a person different from other people he spent a year in a monastery determining the core of his selfhood

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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 selfhood This is, at times, a wrenching novel, strewn with broken bodies, but its atrocities never overwhelm its faith in creaturely communion, and in grief and longing that clarify, rather than obscure, one’s desires and selfhood. Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 Neptune can represent imagination, spirituality, idealism and illusion, while Aries is concerned with selfhood, courage and initiation. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026 Our true nature, or selfhood, is created by Spirit and is wholly loved, complete, and sound. Alistair Budd, Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 2026 Being assembled and claimed by kindergartner Bonnie transforms an initially reluctant Forky from trash to toy in Toy Story 4, but becoming discarded and ownerless doesn’t rob lost toys of their selfhood. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for selfhood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selfhood
Noun
  • Wedding clients perform love instead of living it; her brother, a congressman, disguises his LGBTQ identity to make his political one more palatable; the gentrifiers of her neighborhood trumpet their changes as progress.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The identities of those killed have yet to be determined, al-Masirah satellite news channel cited Saboula as saying.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • His teammates see his personality, his ability to laugh at himself, his sarcasm, his dry wit.
    Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Of course, the trend has to align with the brand’s existing values, and Pandora consumers have long used charms to express their interests and personalities.
    Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Selfhood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selfhood. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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