self-esteem

From self- +‎ esteem.

• IPA^(key): /ˌsɛlf.əˈstiːm/

self-esteem (usually uncountable, plural self-esteems)

1. Confidence in one's own worth; self-respect.
   • 2004, George Carlin, “EUPHEMISMS: What Do You Do for a Living?”, in When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?‎, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 90:

     American companies now put a great deal of effort into boosting their employees' self-esteem by handing out inflated job titles. Most likely, they think it also helps compensate for the longer hours, unpaid overtime and stagnant wages that have become standard. It doesn't.

   • 2011, Roy F. Baumeister, John Tierney, Willpower, →ISBN, pages 191–192:

     People with high self-esteem think they're more popular, charming, and socially skilled than other people, but objective studies find no difference.

• “self-esteem”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.