What does "self-abnegatory" mean?

Of or relating to self-abnegation (the denial or invalidation of one's own needs, interests, etc. for the sake of another's).

What is a synonym for "self-abnegatory"?

Common synonyms include: self-sacrificing, abstemious, altruistic, committed, dedicated, devoted.

Self-abnegatory

adj

adj ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective

1
Of or relating to self-abnegation (the denial or invalidation of one's own needs, interests, etc. for the sake of another's).
"one for whom that purple mantle was too gaudy, and yet who bore it, as he bore everything else, in that self-abnegatory spirit which the higher reaches of philosophy bring"

Synonyms

All synonyms

self-sacrificing abstemious altruistic committed dedicated devoted

Antonyms

All antonyms

hedonistic selfish

Example

More examples

"one for whom that purple mantle was too gaudy, and yet who bore it, as he bore everything else, in that self-abnegatory spirit which the higher reaches of philosophy bring"

Etymology

From self- + abnegatory.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.