Objectives <p>This study aimed to examine the internal structure of the Self-Compassion Scale and apply a person-centered latent profile analysis (LPA) to explore the relationship between self-compassion and meaning in life (MIL) among adolescents.</p> Method <p>Data were collected in two waves, 1 month apart, from 946 Chinese adolescents (<i>M</i>_age = 16.58; 57.19% female). Participants completed self-report measures, including the Self-Compassion Scale, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and the Quadripartite Existential Meaning Scale. The factor structure of the Self-Compassion Scale was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory structural equation modeling, and Bayesian estimation. LPA was conducted to identify self-compassion profiles, followed by multivariate analysis of variance to examine group differences in MIL 1 month later.</p> Results <p>Both the six-correlated-factor and the two-correlated-bifactor structures of the Self-Compassion Scale demonstrated relatively superior model fit. However, subsequent subscore assessments supported the practical utility of the six subscales, providing additional justification for the six-correlated-factor model. Results of LPA identified four distinct groups: <i>compassionate, uncompassionate, mixed self-relating, and low self-relating.</i> Adolescents in the <i>compassionate</i> group reported the highest levels of MIL across all indicators, whereas adolescents in the <i>uncompassionate</i> group reported the lowest. Regarding the search for meaning, adolescents in the <i>compassionate</i> and <i>mixed self-relating</i> groups scored significantly higher than those in the <i>uncompassionate</i> and <i>low self-relating</i> groups.</p> Conclusions <p>These findings support the six-factor structure of the Self-Compassion Scale and highlight distinct self-compassion profiles among adolescents. The results underscore the positive role of self-compassion in fostering MIL, with compassionate adolescents perceiving the highest MIL levels.</p> Preregistration <p>This study is not preregistered.</p>