a self held

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a self held" is not correct in written English.
The correct phrase would be "self-held" (with a hyphen). You can use this phrase when referring to something that someone holds or does for themselves, rather than relying on others. For example, "He was proud of himself for achieving all his goals using his own self-held determination."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Ganz recommends a self held care plan.

BMC Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

A witty, sometimes brutally observant self, held in check by the need to pass herself off as conventionally and graciously female.

The New York Times - Magazine

12 15 A self-holding non-lubricated speculum was placed in the vagina and the cervix was visualised.

BMJ Open

Sophie then showed me a photo of a giraffe taxidermy, with a black and white image of her younger self holding a toy giraffe.

Vice

Note to self: Hold off on the Spotify shares until at least the third date.

Huffington Post

An ode to my twenty-something-naïve and innocent self, holding my firstborn baby in my arms.

Huffington Post

It is investing our efforts at our personal maximum level in pursuit of our best self, holding our own selves to the highest standard.

Huffington Post

Our unconscious selves held on through the night for dear life.

Huffington Post

His discussion of a self-held belief that the world wants to see him "muck up" was the only part of the conversation which was less than transparent.

Independent

Rather, a positive future outlook was a self-held belief.

BMJ Open

Above: Chris McCandless's final photo, a self-portrait holding his farewell note.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing something that someone holds independently, consider using "self-held" with a hyphen or rephrasing the sentence for better clarity. For example, instead of "a self held belief," use "a self-held belief" or "a belief held by oneself."

Common error

Avoid using "a self held" without a hyphen when you intend to describe something possessed or maintained by an individual. Without the hyphen, it reads awkwardly. Use "self-held" with a hyphen to make it clear it's a compound adjective. Alternatively, rewrite the sentence to avoid the issue altogether.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a self held" is often intended to act as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. However, it requires a hyphen to be grammatically correct as a compound adjective. As noted by Ludwig AI, the correct form is "self-held."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Academia

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "a self held" appears in various sources, Ludwig AI points out that it is grammatically incorrect and should be written as "self-held" with a hyphen when used as a compound adjective. It aims to describe something independently maintained or organized. The frequency of use is rare, but it shows up in news, science and business contexts. Using the hyphenated form or rephrasing ensures clarity and grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

personally held

Emphasizes the personal nature of the holding, often referring to beliefs or values.

privately maintained

Highlights the individual's role in keeping something, especially beliefs or standards.

individually sustained

Focuses on the effort to keep something going without external help.

self-possessed

Describes someone who is calm and in control of their emotions.

independently organized

Suggests the activity was planned and executed without outside assistance.

self-managed

Highlights the self-directed nature of a process or activity.

personally administered

Emphasizes the direct involvement of an individual in managing something.

self-funded

Indicates that the activity or project was paid for by the individual.

self-created

Implies that the item or situation was brought into existence by oneself.

self-initiated

Focuses on the individual's role in starting or beginning something.

FAQs

What is the correct way to write "self held"?

The correct way to write it as a compound adjective is "self-held", using a hyphen. This indicates that "self" and "held" are working together to modify a noun.

Is "a self-held belief" grammatically correct?

Yes, "a self-held belief" is grammatically correct. The hyphen connects "self" and "held" to function as a single adjective describing the belief.

What can I say instead of "a self-held meeting"?

You can use alternatives like "a privately organized meeting", "an independently arranged meeting", or "a meeting convened by oneself".

What does "self-held" mean?

"Self-held" means something that is possessed, maintained, or organized by oneself without external assistance.