self-actualization

noun

"self-actualization" is a 17-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“self-actualization” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
18
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Psychological development that can be achieved when all basic and mental needs are fulfilled.

Corpus desk

Index EN-self-actualization · self-actualization · English

self-actualization · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 18 letters
  • VOW-8 8 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for self-actualization
PropertyValue
Headwordself-actualization
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters18
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “self-actualization” in English

self-actualizationsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

self-actualization is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Psychological development that can be achieved when all basic and mental needs are fulfilled.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for self-actualization in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From self- + actualization. Probably applied in this sense by Abraham Maslow. The correct English form is self-actualization, spelled S-E-L-F---A-C-T-U-A-L-I-Z-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Psychological development that can be achieved when all basic and mental needs are fulfilled.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how self-actualization appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. This is not an exercise in self-actualization at other people's expense. That's what you've been doing up until now. This is about acknowledging your faults to the people you've hurt without hurting them more.
  2. The pursuit of individual autonomy or “self-actualisation”, for example, has become mired in an identity politics that subsumes the individual into rigidly defined groupings based on ethnicity, gender or sexuality.

Etymology

From self- + actualization. Probably applied in this sense by Abraham Maslow.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "self-actualization"?
"self-actualization" is spelled S-E-L-F---A-C-T-U-A-L-I-Z-A-T-I-O-N.
What does "self-actualization" mean?
As a noun, "self-actualization" means: Psychological development that can be achieved when all basic and mental needs are fulfilled.
What is the origin of the word "self-actualization"?
From self- + actualization. Probably applied in this sense by Abraham Maslow. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list