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self-made

self-made

21 4.1
Someone who achieves success by their own hard work, not by family help
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɛlfˌmeɪd/
translation icon : hecho a sí mismo
  • He's the epitome of a young self-made success story.
  • a self-made man
  • self-made success

He's the epitome of a young self-made success story.

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Examples

  • She is a self-made entrepreneur who built her company from the ground up.

  • My father was a self-made millionaire, and he never let you forget it.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And so I spent eight years in that world and I, I had, I had been a self-made young woman.

  • Of course he was a self-made man.

  • Bill's father was completely self-made.

  • The American myth of the self-made man or woman is just that: a myth.

    Blog text (6)
  • The majority of lawyers were self-made men who came from comparatively humble backgrounds.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Aside from the initial American capital, he's a self-made man, also intelligent and charming.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • He was, at least at the time, the youngest self-made billionaire in history of the planet, as far as I know.

  • I'm a self-made man.

Synonyms

made
vsself-made
  • Informal
4.6

A person who has lasting success or security

emphasizes that a person succeeds only through personal effort rather than inheritance

Antonyms

182 2.8

Relying on someone else for help or support

inherited
  • Specialized
3.4

Passed from parents to children through genes

How Independent

independent
984 2.3
self-made
21 4.1
supported
2.0

Surface Forms

self-made positive

Morphology

self-made = self + made (transparent) = self + made

Clear compound 'self' + 'made' meaning produced by oneself; learners can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Self-made comes from the two plain words self ('oneself') and made ('built' or 'created'). It describes someone who has 'built' their success by their own work, not by family money or outside help.