as in natures
the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others
some believe that it's only in times of great stress that a person's true self is revealed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 selves
Rotterdam is what happens when a city in the midst of transformation adapts to change without losing any reverence for its former selves.
—
Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 23 Apr. 2026
This is our opportunity to show our real selves and be together.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
But the best of these good-versus-evil narratives, like in these eight series, can connect one generation to the next, introducing kids to the world’s complexity and keeping grown-ups tethered to the wonder of their childhood selves.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
Explore Carla Harris’s perspective on executive presence and the value in showing up as our authentic selves.
—Big Think, 20 Apr. 2026
Transitions between the two parents (and selves, and lives) are widely considered one of the toughest aspects of divorce for a child—sites of recurrent loss and awkward morphing.
—Jean Garnett, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest are also set to reprise their roles as the eclectic aunts who raised the Owens sisters, always encouraging them to embrace their true magical selves.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Swift chooses which conflicts to foreground, which triumphs to monumentalize, and which past selves to revisit and revise.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
As the founder of Mielle, my mission is to empower women, especially Black women, to express their authentic selves.
—Monique Rodriguez, SELF, 15 Apr. 2026
Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 23 Apr. 2026
This is our opportunity to show our real selves and be together.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
But the best of these good-versus-evil narratives, like in these eight series, can connect one generation to the next, introducing kids to the world’s complexity and keeping grown-ups tethered to the wonder of their childhood selves.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
Explore Carla Harris’s perspective on executive presence and the value in showing up as our authentic selves.
—Big Think, 20 Apr. 2026
Transitions between the two parents (and selves, and lives) are widely considered one of the toughest aspects of divorce for a child—sites of recurrent loss and awkward morphing.
—Jean Garnett, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest are also set to reprise their roles as the eclectic aunts who raised the Owens sisters, always encouraging them to embrace their true magical selves.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Swift chooses which conflicts to foreground, which triumphs to monumentalize, and which past selves to revisit and revise.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
As the founder of Mielle, my mission is to empower women, especially Black women, to express their authentic selves.
—Monique Rodriguez, SELF, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selves
Noun
-
These observations suggest that small, mysterious moons with surprisingly different natures are the source of the particles that make up the two outermost rings, and that there are probably even more undiscovered moons to add to the 29 already known around Uranus.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Last month, a Los Angeles jury found social media giants Meta and Google failed to warn children about the addictive natures of their platforms.—
Drew Aunkst,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Schneider gave a shout-out to his scouting staff for doing the work to uncover the type of personalities the Seahawks would be acquiring.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
For the very first time, Rina and Serasi stepped onto their outdoor habitat — and their personalities were already on full display.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For those looking for a streamlined vanity design, this option has no hardware to distract from the natural wood tones.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Chesnutt wasn’t alone in these sometimes sinister tones.—
David Harris,
SPIN,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But fights are just as integral to the Netflix show created by Lee Sung Jin, and the series’ sound team needed to do even more meticulous work building visceral senses of anger, stress, and dread that slowly swallow up the characters and steer them into making a compounding set of poor decisions.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Apex, which primarily consists of its two main characters chasing each other around the fictional Wandarra National Park on location in the real Australian Blue Mountains, is more focused in action than in psychological nuance.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Selves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selves. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
