amour propre
1
9.9
- noun
- /æˈmʊr ˈprɒpər/
- Jargon
:
amor propio
- It is amour-propre that makes it possible, as Rousseau says in the passage from the First Discourse under discussion, for politeness to require and for propriety to demand.
Not in large territories, not annexation, not even the satisfaction of Amour Propre.
- Not in large territories, not annexation, not even the satisfaction of Amour Propre.
Examples
-
However, further consideration shows both that there is no tension here and how amour-propre pushes in the direction of conformity.
Academic text (2000) -
It is not easy to remind a man a few months short of eighty-five that he may, on so long a journey, be a danger, not merely to himself and his passengers, but to innocent motorists as well, without offending his amour-propre.
Fiction book (1991) -
Because he thinks he is the boss, and she knows she is the boss, the amour-propre of both is satisfied.
Academic text (2008) -
This is not a matter of offended academic amour-propre.
Blog text (23) -
Well, I shan't lose my amour propre when I interview Mr. Savage.
-
According to Rousseau, the problem that any society must address, then, is how to make it possible for men maddened by amour-propre, each of whom is seeking to be "the sole master of the universe," to live together peacefully.
Academic text (2008) -
His natural self-love sours into amour propre, poisoned by fears about his neighbors' judgment of his lawn, his car, his politics, and his soul.
Academic text (1990) -
Conference diplomacy in those days was a gentlemanly affair, and all recognized that it was easiest to reach compromise if no offense were given to a state's amour propre.
Academic text (1995) -
Therefore, amour-propre and the desire for public esteem may be seen to ground the propensity toward conformity, both in the sense of acting as others act and expect, and in the sense of acting from an unreflective and passive relation to the meaning of one's own action.
Academic text (2000) -
After receiving criticism, her amour propre was hurt, but she soon regained her self-esteem.
Synonyms
53
3.2
A feeling of being proud and confident about yourself and your actions
28
3.7
A feeling that you are a good and important person
1
7.0
Having too much pride in your own looks or abilities
A feeling of satisfaction and confidence in yourself
Antonyms
How Proud
10
8.0
56
5.6
647
1.8
- Jargon
1
9.9
183
3.5
53
3.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
amour + propre
The phrase literally composes amour (love) + propre (own), i.e. 'self-love' or 'one's own love,' so a learner who knows the constituent meanings can infer the basic sense of self-respect/self-esteem. Although it is a French loan in English and may carry nuanced connotations of excessive pride, the core meaning is compositionally transparent and parallels common cross‑linguistic expressions for self-regard.
Etymology
Amour propre combines the French words amour and propre, meaning 'love' and 'own', so picture someone loving and defending their own honor. That's why amour propre means 'self-respect' and can also mean 'excessive pride'.