self-image

American

[self-im-ij] / ˈsɛlfˈɪm ɪdʒ /

noun

the idea, conception, or mental image one has of oneself.

self-image British

noun

one's own idea of oneself or sense of one's worth

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of self-image

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Okwuego said “fixing the smiles” of her patients is a privilege and boosts their self-image, which can help “when they’re trying to get jobs.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mr. Fetterman’s candor about his self-image, self-doubt, even self-loathing, and the awkward angles from which his 6-foot-8-inch frame views the world, can be startling at times.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the sun would not sit at the center of the American self-image.

From The Wall Street Journal

Both L.A. and Orange counties are built upon idealized self-image.

From Los Angeles Times

He couldn’t handle managing his self-image for an audience of thousands.

From Slate

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023