"self-help" meaning in English

See self-help in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Etymology: self- + help Etymology templates: {{prefix|en|self|help}} self- + help Head templates: {{en-noun|-}} self-help (uncountable)
  1. The practice of bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others. Tags: uncountable Synonyms (act of bettering oneself): self-improvement Translations (bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others): 勵志 (Chinese Mandarin), 励志 (lìzhì) (Chinese Mandarin), selvhjælp [common-gender] (Danish), zelfhulp (Dutch), zelfhelp (Dutch), itseapu (Finnish), autoaxuda [feminine] (Galician), Selbsthilfe [feminine] (German), αυτοβοήθεια (aftovoḯtheia) (Greek), સ્વસહાય (svashāya) (Gujarati), önsegítés (Hungarian), önsegély (Hungarian), önsegélyezés (Hungarian), féinchabhair [feminine] (Irish), féinchúnamh [masculine] (Irish), autoaiuto [masculine] (Italian), самопомош (samopomoš) [feminine] (Macedonian), samopomoc [feminine] (Polish), auto-ajuda (Portuguese), samopomoć (Serbo-Croatian), autoayuda [feminine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-self-help-en-noun-qNrwJS9X Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with self- Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 51 49 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with self-: 81 19 Disambiguation of 'act of bettering oneself': 70 30 Disambiguation of 'bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others': 96 4
  2. (law) An act of redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions rather than through legal proceedings. Tags: uncountable Categories (topical): Law Translations (redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions): 自助 (zìzhù) (Chinese Mandarin), 自力救濟 (Chinese Mandarin), 自力救济 (zìlì jiùjì) (Chinese Mandarin), oma apu (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-self-help-en-noun-dWhczEEF Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 51 49 Topics: law Disambiguation of "redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions": 4 96

Download JSON data for self-help meaning in English (6.4kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "self",
        "3": "help"
      },
      "expansion": "self- + help",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "self- + help",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "self-help (uncountable)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "51 49",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "81 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with self-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "a self-help book"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings, New York: Hyperion Books, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 91",
          "text": "Look at the self-help titles in the bookstore, and you'll get a few clues about our culture. They're all about aggression and acquisition. It wouldn't be at all surprising to see a book called How to Force your Will on Other People by Giving Them the Shaft and Fucking Them out of Their Money.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The practice of bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others."
      ],
      "id": "en-self-help-en-noun-qNrwJS9X",
      "links": [
        [
          "bettering",
          "bettering"
        ],
        [
          "relying",
          "relying"
        ],
        [
          "assistance",
          "assistance"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "sense": "act of bettering oneself",
          "word": "self-improvement"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "勵志"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "lìzhì",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "励志"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "selvhjælp"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "zelfhulp"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "zelfhelp"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "itseapu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "autoaxuda"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Selbsthilfe"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "aftovoḯtheia",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "αυτοβοήθεια"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "gu",
          "lang": "Gujarati",
          "roman": "svashāya",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "સ્વસહાય"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "önsegítés"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "önsegély"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "önsegélyezés"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "féinchabhair"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "féinchúnamh"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "autoaiuto"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "samopomoš",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "самопомош"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "samopomoc"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "auto-ajuda"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "word": "samopomoć"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "autoayuda"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Law",
          "orig": "en:Law",
          "parents": [
            "Justice",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "51 49",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "self-help repossession"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An act of redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions rather than through legal proceedings."
      ],
      "id": "en-self-help-en-noun-dWhczEEF",
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ],
        [
          "redressing",
          "redressing"
        ],
        [
          "preventing",
          "preventing"
        ],
        [
          "wrong",
          "wrong"
        ],
        [
          "action",
          "action"
        ],
        [
          "legal",
          "legal"
        ],
        [
          "proceedings",
          "proceedings"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(law) An act of redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions rather than through legal proceedings."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "zìzhù",
          "sense": "redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions",
          "word": "自助"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions",
          "word": "自力救濟"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "zìlì jiùjì",
          "sense": "redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions",
          "word": "自力救济"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 96",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions",
          "word": "oma apu"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "self-help"
  ],
  "word": "self-help"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms prefixed with self-",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Requests for review of Hungarian translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "self",
        "3": "help"
      },
      "expansion": "self- + help",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "self- + help",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "self-help (uncountable)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "a self-help book"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings, New York: Hyperion Books, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 91",
          "text": "Look at the self-help titles in the bookstore, and you'll get a few clues about our culture. They're all about aggression and acquisition. It wouldn't be at all surprising to see a book called How to Force your Will on Other People by Giving Them the Shaft and Fucking Them out of Their Money.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The practice of bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "bettering",
          "bettering"
        ],
        [
          "relying",
          "relying"
        ],
        [
          "assistance",
          "assistance"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Law"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "self-help repossession"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An act of redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions rather than through legal proceedings."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ],
        [
          "redressing",
          "redressing"
        ],
        [
          "preventing",
          "preventing"
        ],
        [
          "wrong",
          "wrong"
        ],
        [
          "action",
          "action"
        ],
        [
          "legal",
          "legal"
        ],
        [
          "proceedings",
          "proceedings"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(law) An act of redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions rather than through legal proceedings."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "act of bettering oneself",
      "word": "self-improvement"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "勵志"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "lìzhì",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "励志"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "selvhjælp"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "zelfhulp"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "zelfhelp"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "itseapu"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "autoaxuda"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Selbsthilfe"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "aftovoḯtheia",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "αυτοβοήθεια"
    },
    {
      "code": "gu",
      "lang": "Gujarati",
      "roman": "svashāya",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "સ્વસહાય"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "önsegítés"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "önsegély"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "önsegélyezés"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "féinchabhair"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "féinchúnamh"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "autoaiuto"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "samopomoš",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "самопомош"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "samopomoc"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "auto-ajuda"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "word": "samopomoć"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "bettering oneself without relying on the assistance of others",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "autoayuda"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "zìzhù",
      "sense": "redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions",
      "word": "自助"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions",
      "word": "自力救濟"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "zìlì jiùjì",
      "sense": "redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions",
      "word": "自力救济"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions",
      "word": "oma apu"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "self-help"
  ],
  "word": "self-help"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.