as in self-exploration
the act or process of gaining knowledge or understanding of your abilities, character, and feelings
She was on a voyage of self-discovery.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of self-discovery
Legally Blonde warms the heart by proving that self-discovery never goes out of style!
—
Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
For many fans — including plenty in the audience with neon green or pink hair — dyeing your own hair at home is part of self-discovery.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
Ethan is on a path of self-discovery.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
Girl Talk What could be remembered as a beautiful episode of self-discovery for Taylor is sabotaged by Dakota’s Machiavellian behavior.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-discovery
Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
For many fans — including plenty in the audience with neon green or pink hair — dyeing your own hair at home is part of self-discovery.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
Ethan is on a path of self-discovery.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
Girl Talk What could be remembered as a beautiful episode of self-discovery for Taylor is sabotaged by Dakota’s Machiavellian behavior.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-discovery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-discovery
- self-exploration
- self-realization
- self-actualization
- introspection
- meditation
- self-fulfillment
- soul-searching
- self-reflection
Noun
-
That self-neglect resulted in a health challenge, which eventually led to Godfred reconnecting with her passion for poetry and self-exploration.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
-
After a whole lot of angst and self-exploration.—
Tina Eves,
SPIN,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Post vague quotes about self-realization that are universal but ultimately mean nothing.—
Emily Menez,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
-
His experiment in self-realization put him in a long line of spiritual seekers, and like innumerable young persons in every generation, he was actively engaged in evolving a design for living, drawing from sources near to and farther from home.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The adaptation stars Ella Bruccoleri as the eponymous Mary, who goes on a voyage of self-actualization in London.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
-
His sociopathy is the logical extension of a homicidal ethos of self-actualization, self-realization, and self-care.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some viewers took Sharon’s critique as tough love that prompted necessary introspection about why their natural texture is concealed and manipulated so often.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
14 May 2026
-
The back half is comprised of less showy songs that fold midlife introspection into broader concerns.—
Jon Dolan,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
During each session, expert instructors guide flowing yoga sessions and meditation with sweeping London skyline views.—
Rachel Dube,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
What a Women’s Wellness Retreat Actually Includes A women’s wellness retreat typically blends movement, meditation and community in a setting designed to feel restorative rather than performative.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
But this is a Norman Lear comedy after all (his last before passing in late 2023) — so by the end of the first episode, the hilarious sitcom has revealed its true interest in acceptance, forgiveness, and self-fulfillment.—
Michael Cuby,
Them.,
17 Nov. 2025
-
And increasingly, women are choosing solitude and self-fulfillment over unsatisfying relationships.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
While three games hardly make a season, there seems to be some soul-searching needed in Dallas.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 May 2026
-
The story attracted her first, a heartwarming narrative about an aquarium cleaner (Field) who looks after a giant Pacific octopus (voiced by Alfred Molina) and the young drifter (Lewis Pullman) who deepens both their lives while doing his own soul-searching.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
The importance of the self in American culture seems to have become even more pronounced since about the mid-20th century, when the communal—and sometimes conformist—spirit of the 1950s gave way to movements for individual rights and a cultural focus on self-reflection and self-help.—
Julie Beck,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
-
Speaks said therapy and self-reflection helped change his own life and inspired him to pursue psychology.—
Nicky Zizaza,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-discovery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-discovery. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
