self-service
Americannoun
adjective
-
noting or pertaining to a cafeteria, store, etc., designed for the patron or customer to gather food or merchandise from a display counter or shelves without the aid of attendants and pay at a cashier's desk upon leaving.
-
of, for, or pertaining to something designed to be used or enjoyed without the aid of an attendant.
self-service banking; self-service elevators.
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of self-service
First recorded in 1920–25
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.
He noted that the pressures on Monday’s self-service sales relate to AI in a way.
From MarketWatch
I have no problem with no-frills service or self-service when I am getting a deal in return.
Many employers have self-service portals that allow you to do this online.
These are the offices of Evoke Creative, which makes self-service terminals, the sort of things you see popping up everywhere from McDonald's to your local library.
From BBC
“But it is still early days as self-service launched only in late 2025.”
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.