self-characterization

noun

self-char·​ac·​ter·​i·​za·​tion ˌself-ˌker-ik-t(ə-)rə-ˈzā-shən 

-ˌka-rik-

plural self-characterizations

: the act of describing one's own character or qualities : a characterization of oneself

her self-characterization as a sci-fi geek

[David] Adler relies on what citizens say about their own ideology. … But do these self-characterizations represent how moderate or radical they are?

—Matthijs Rooduijn

Examples of self-characterization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The lawsuit disputes their self-characterizations as businessmen. — Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2025

Despite his self-characterization as a progressive fending off nationalists, the French president has done nothing to embrace the Biden administration’s democracy agenda. — Celia Belin, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-characterization

• americanization
• anticoagulation
• antidiscrimination
• bioaccumulation
• bioremediation
• compartmentalization
• contextualization
• copolymerization
• decriminalization
• dehumidification
• demilitarization
• demineralization