self-indulgence
noun
self-in·dul·gence
ˌself-in-ˈdəl-jən(t)s 
: excessive or unrestrained gratification of one's own appetites, desires, or whims
self-indulgently
adverb
Examples of self-indulgence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But Cowboy Carter’s greatest gift is its self-indulgence, when Beyoncé plays against typecasting and the rules made for her and, sometimes, by her.
—
Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2024
Norman Mailer wrote with an unstable mixture of self-indulgence and self-awareness, bravado and diffidence, glibness and bracing honesty, macho posturing and an almost sheepish gentleness.
—Andrew Delbanco, The New York Review of Books, 28 Mar. 2024
The colorful outfits exude the wacky self-indulgence that comes through in his work, which makes sense: His personal aesthetic has always been part of the shtick.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
With that victory, however, came overconfidence and self-indulgence, and in recent years the NRA has been mired in distracting controversy.
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024
Looking after your physical well-being isn’t self-indulgence.
—Rachel Wilkerson Miller, SELF, 1 Jan. 2024
When did such a holiday that used to connect families and communities become a night of opportunistic self-indulgence?
—Faith Barton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023
Our collection brims with items curated to cater to every whim, whether gifting joy or a little self-indulgence.
—Kristi Arnold, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2023
In the past, Drake would couch this sort of self-indulgence and acidity between unimpeachable pop hits, impassioned freestyles, and playful genre experimentations.
—Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2023
Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2024
Norman Mailer wrote with an unstable mixture of self-indulgence and self-awareness, bravado and diffidence, glibness and bracing honesty, macho posturing and an almost sheepish gentleness.
—Andrew Delbanco, The New York Review of Books, 28 Mar. 2024
The colorful outfits exude the wacky self-indulgence that comes through in his work, which makes sense: His personal aesthetic has always been part of the shtick.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
With that victory, however, came overconfidence and self-indulgence, and in recent years the NRA has been mired in distracting controversy.
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024
Looking after your physical well-being isn’t self-indulgence.
—Rachel Wilkerson Miller, SELF, 1 Jan. 2024
When did such a holiday that used to connect families and communities become a night of opportunistic self-indulgence?
—Faith Barton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023
Our collection brims with items curated to cater to every whim, whether gifting joy or a little self-indulgence.
—Kristi Arnold, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2023
In the past, Drake would couch this sort of self-indulgence and acidity between unimpeachable pop hits, impassioned freestyles, and playful genre experimentations.
—Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-indulgence.' 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
1636, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near self-indulgence
Cite this Entry
“Self-indulgence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-indulgence. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
self-indulgence
noun
self-in·dul·gence
ˌsel-fin-ˈdəl-jən(t)s
: the quality or state of being self-indulgent
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