Synonyms of selfhood

selfhood

noun

ˈself-ˌhu̇d 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• identity
• personality
• individuality
• individualism
• character
• self-identity
• distinctiveness
• uniqueness
• singularity
• separateness
• oneness
• idiosyncrasy
• peculiarity
• singleness
• nature
• temperament
• independence
• humor
• disposition
• temper

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conformity
• conventionality

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of selfhood

When motherhood is no longer defined as a duty, new possibilities for female selfhood emerge. — Rafaela Bassili, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026

The book’s post-apocalyptic setting ennobles its meditations on selfhood and finitude; the narrator’s search for perpetuity is lent an unshakable gravity by her circumstances. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

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