Synonyms

self-service

American

[self-sur-vis] / ˈsɛlfˈsɜr vɪs /

Also self-serve

noun

the system of serving oneself in a restaurant, shop, gas station, or other facility, without the aid of a waiter, clerk, attendant, etc.

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.

self-service British

adjective

of or denoting a shop, restaurant, petrol station, etc, where the customer serves himself

"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

noun

the practice of serving oneself, as in a shop, etc

"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-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.

From The Wall Street Journal

Many employers have self-service portals that allow you to do this online.

From The Wall Street Journal

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