SELF-OBSERVATION Synonyms: 31 Similar Words

self-observation

noun

ˌself-ˌäb-sər-ˈvā-shən

Definition of self-observation

as in introspection

examination of one's own thoughts and feelings some self-observation might give you some insights into how others perceive you

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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-observation The purpose of this exercise is not to match your paradigm perfectly but to give you a thematic lens for self-observation. — Liz Tran, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2026 Anyone who has tracked their daily steps or worn a glucose monitor can testify that self-observation works. — Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024 Moreover, self-observation might highlight a leader's tendency to let stress visibly affect their demeanor, inadvertently impacting team morale. — Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-observation

Noun

While tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen may see empathy and introspection as weaknesses, those traits are the beating heart of literature and art, the wellspring of creativity and human connection.

— Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
Ahead of the 2022 season, Pryor tore the patellar tendon in his left knee during preseason camp, beginning a year of introspection, discovery and, at times, distraction from the sport that had shaped his identity.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of introspection

Noun

Concepts like a recurring conversation with a sibling, a habit picked up during a mundane after-school job, or a small mistake that took months to fully understand can be inroads to genuine self-reflection and creative expression.

— Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
In fact, Perez has never shied from self-reflection, speaking openly about his weight struggles and parenting challenges, sharing his hair-loss journey, and the trials and tribulations of several cross-country moves.

— Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of self-reflection

Noun

Fundamental Questions To Ask CEOs and the board chair should think of the annual review as a self-examination into what is working well today and what can be improved for tomorrow.

— James Langabeer, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Prior to the age of 40, your annual OB-GYN exam and regular self-examination is the baseline for screening for anything suspicious; after the age of 40, an annual mammogram is recommended for additional imaging.

— Nicole Pajer, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026

Definition of self-examination

Noun

And the strategies our minds reach for in moments of doubt—retreat, control, relentless self-scrutiny—can work powerfully against us at the moments that matter most.

— Karyn Gallant, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
People committed to covenant cannot lose the capacity for moral self-scrutiny.

— Rabbi Josh Weinberg, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2026

Definition of self-scrutiny

Noun

After the eclipse wraps, the Sun doubles down on the compulsion toward self-contemplation in partnership with Lilith.

— Jennifer Culp, Them, 27 Sep. 2024
Missing from the fair but important nonetheless is Hsiao Chin, the first and only post-war Chinese artist to convey Eastern philosophical ideas and the concepts of mindfulness and self-contemplation in the Western pictorial language of abstraction.

— Florence Tsai, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2023

Definition of self-contemplation

Noun

This majestic sequence delivers a lifetime’s outpouring of love’s inadequacies and frustrations, of grief and regret, of gratitude along with candid acceptance of loss, and of self-questioning that never shakes the foundations of the family—her ferocious commitment to the children.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 June 2026
After long periods of grief, reflection and painful self-questioning, most of the families interviewed by The Charlotte Observer no longer seem interested in reducing their children’s deaths to any one thing.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026

Definition of self-questioning

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selfness

self-observation

self-observations

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“Self-observation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-observation. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of self-observation

noun

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