self-help

noun

ˈself-ˈhelp 

 Southern also  ˈhep

: the action or process of bettering oneself or overcoming one's problems without the aid of others

especially : the coping with one's personal or emotional problems without professional help

self-help adjective

Examples of self-help in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jay Shetty as a wedding officiant Also in the mix is author and self-help guru to the stars, Jay Shetty. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 9 June 2024

Gets the biggest reaction from the rest of the cast due to his poor track record with women, but swears therapy and self-help books have changed him for the better. —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 7 June 2024

This political movement grew up alongside the development of an all-encompassing conservative evangelical subculture that fused religious and political identities in everything from sermons to Christian rock and self-help books. —Emily Suzanne Johnson / Made By History, TIME, 3 June 2024

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1791) Franklin's autobiography doubles as one of America's first self-help books. —The Week Us, theweek, 21 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

self-help

noun

ˈself-ˈhelp

: the act of bettering oneself or overcoming one's problems without aid of others

Legal Definition

self-help

noun

ˈself-ˈhelp

: the act of redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions rather than through legal proceedings

Note: The Uniform Commercial Code permits creditors to repossess collateral by self-help if it can be done without a breach of the peace.