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What is the origin of selfie?
The first-known appearance of selfie in written form occurred in 2002 on an Australian news website, but the word didn't see much use until 2012. By November 2013, selfie was appearing frequently enough in print and electronic media that Oxford Dictionaries (publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary as well as other dictionaries) chose the word as its Word of the Year. This announcement itself led to a significant increase in the use of the word by news organizations, an increase that was further boosted following the December 2013 memorial service for Nelson Mandela, at which American President Barack Obama was caught taking a selfie with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and British Prime Minister David Cameron. The word selfie, with its suggestions of self-centeredness and self-involvement, was particularly popular with critics who saw this moment as a reflection of the President's character.
Examples of selfie in a Sentence
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The Nvidia boss, who regularly poses for selfies with fans, also went outside the restaurant a few times to hand out kimbap, typical Korean street food fare, and treats to those gathered.
—Gina Chon, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
A lot has changed since 2008, when my state-of-the-art flip phone couldn't take selfies, my social media presence was limited to Disney's Club Penguin and my favorite band, Paramore, wasn't considered classic pop-punk.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
The anime community is well-represented too; fans in Chainsaw Man, Dan Da Dan, Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia costumes can be seen sauntering down the halls, snapping selfies together.
—Nikki Birch, NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfie
Cite this Entry
“Selfie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selfie. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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