self-help
/sˈɛlfhˈɛlp/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.13 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An act of redressing or preventing a wrong by one's own actions rather than through legal proceedings.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "a self-help book"
- "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."
- "Amanda Straw estimates that she has read nearly 200 self-help books."
- "self-help repossession"
- "Murder is dealt with by the law of blood-revenge, but the innocent manslayer may seek asylum at God's altar. With murder are ranked man-stealing, offences against parents, and witchcraft. Other injuries are occasions of self-help or of private suits to be adjusted at the sanctuary."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English help English self-help From self- + help.