self-education

noun

self-ed·​u·​ca·​tion ˌself-ˌe-jə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce self-education (audio)
plural self-educations
: the act or process of educating oneself by one's own efforts especially through reading and informal study
… her painstaking self-education in all matters pertaining to New York …James Traub
also : the skills or knowledge attained through self-education
[Mark] Coen purchased the old church for its space, moved in and set up shop while endeavoring to achieve a self-education in carpentry. Carrie Manner

Examples of self-education in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
So, there is a clear need to create re-skilling programs that would inspire employees to re-evaluate their approach to self-education. Hilary Tetenbaum, The Enquirer, 28 Nov. 2024 Surround yourself with supportive people, invest in self-education, and eliminate self-doubt about financial success. Melissa Houston, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 Those under 43 were more likely to cite self-education and the influence of their social circle as drivers of their philanthropy. Robert Frank, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2024 Inviting friends who have an avid interest in wine is not paramount, but asking those with only a moderate taste for wine can become the most pleasant form of self-education. John Mariani, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 They had been educated during the worst years of Soviet stagnation, gaining an appetite for underground self-education and for studying the reforms of socialist economies in Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Poland. Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 10 July 2024 Instead, the duo spent years watching films, reading scripts and dissecting the techniques of their favorite directors in an admirable feat of self-education. Jamie Lang, Variety, 16 May 2024 Founding father Benjamin Franklin knew better than most the benefits of self-education. Elizabeth Webster, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024 Lee’s twenties were also a time of self-education and inquiry. Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-education was in 1782

Dictionary Entries Near self-education

Cite this Entry

“Self-education.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-education. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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