From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishselfself /self/ ●●● S2 W3 noun (plural selves /selvz/) 1 [countable usually singular]CHARACTER/PERSONALITY the type of person you are, your character, your typical behaviour etcsomebody’s usual/normal self Sid was not his usual smiling self.be/look/feel (like) your old self (=be the way you usually are again, especially after having been ill, unhappy etc) Jim was beginning to feel like his old self again.somebody’s true/real self (=what someone is really like, rather than what they pretend to be like) Peter was the only one to whom she showed her true self.2 → somebody’s sense of self3 → be a shadow/ghost of your former self4 [uncountable]B a word written in business letters, on cheques etc meaning yourself a cheque written to self5 [countable] used to refer to a person a picture of a journalist and your good self (=you)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesyour normal/usual selfWhen she came home at Christmas she seemed very quiet and not her normal self.your old self (=the way you were before an illness or other change)He sounded more like his old self than the last time she had called.your true/real self (=your real character)At last he had revealed his true self.your inner self (=your real character or feelings that are usually hidden from other people)Over the years she had put up barriers to protect her inner self.
Examples from the Corpus
self• We have often a choice: self pity or spiritual power through suffering.• There he was with his cigar, a shadow of his former self.• He may be in danger of injuring self or others.• In contrast, figures outside the high cultural sphere often consciously try to abandon their sense of self.• His old self would have scorned such sentimentality.• I know I should be making an effort to follow what Neil is saying. trying to integrate the self.• Through metaphor Thoreau renders the self and nature in total interrelationship without slighting either half of the duality.somebody’s usual/normal self• Marcus wasn't his normal self today.self-self- /self/ prefix 1 XXby yourself or by itself a self-propelled vehicle2 XXof, to, with, or for yourself or itself a self-portraitExamples from the Corpus
self-• self-adhesive labels• self-restraint• He's self-taught.Origin self Old English 