self-abnegation

noun

self-ab·​ne·​ga·​tion ˌself-ˌab-ni-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce self-abnegation (audio)
plural self-abnegations
: self-denial, self-sacrifice
… the notion that having a baby demands complete and total self-abnegation, and anything short of that is not enough.Jessi Klein

Examples of self-abnegation in a Sentence

even after acquiring great wealth, he continued to practice a kind of puritanical self-abnegation
Recent Examples on the Web His self-abnegation proved successful: Trump endorsed him, and Vance won the primary and then the general election. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024 The dynamics grew softer as the piece went along, expressing self-abnegation in the face of failure. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024 Honoré recalls the dirt of a horny adolescent’s lust, the emotional confusion that twists desire for contact and intimacy into degradation, self-abnegation, and the longing for salvation — needs effaced by the title’s unclear American translation. Armond White, National Review, 5 May 2023 The tenacious resistance among many Democratic politicians to publicly challenge the court’s misdeeds stands as a spectacular act of self-abnegation. Simon Lazarus, The New Republic, 21 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-abnegation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-abnegation was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near self-abnegation

Cite this Entry

“Self-abnegation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-abnegation. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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