self-service

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˌsɛlfˈsɜːrvɪs/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(selfsûrvis)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈself-ˈserv•ice,  adj. 
  1. of or relating to a restaurant, store, etc., in which customers serve themselves.
  2. of or relating to something to be used without an attendant:self-service elevators.

n. [uncountable]
  1. the system of serving oneself in a commercial establishment without the aid of an attendant.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
self-serv•ice  (selfsûrvis),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. the serving of oneself in a restaurant, shop, gas station, or other facility, without the aid of a waiter, clerk, attendant, etc.

adj. 
  1. noting or pertaining to a cafeteria, grocery, store, etc., designed for the patron or customer to gather food or merchandise from a display or display shelves without the aid of attendants and pay at a cashier's desk upon leaving.
  2. of, for, or pertaining to something designed to be used or enjoyed without the aid of an attendant:self-service banking; self-service elevators.
  • 1920–25

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
self-service adj
  1. of or denoting a shop, restaurant, petrol station, etc, where the customer serves himself or herself
n
  1. the practice of serving oneself, as in a shop, etc
'self-service' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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