Self | Mean of self in English Dictionary

/ˈsɛlf/

• Noun
• the person that someone normally or truly is
1. He's just not his usual/normal self today.
2. She was her old self again after some sleep. [=she returned to behaving/feeling as she normally did after some sleep]
3. He was a mere ghost/shadow of his former self after the illness. [=he was much weaker after his illness]
4. She showed her true/real self. [=she stopped pretending and showed what type of person she really was]
• a particular part of your personality or character that is shown in a particular situation
1. She showed her better self at the party.
2. Her public self is very different from her private self.
3. He started taking yoga and meditation classes to get in touch with his inner self. [=the emotional and spiritual part of himself]
• the personality or character that makes a person different from other people
1. We each develop a unique sense of self. [=a unique idea about who we are]
2. Philosophers have written about the conception/idea of the self.

• your own personal interest or advantage
1. She helped without any thought of self. [=without any thought of trying to make things better for herself]