self-promotion

noun

self-pro·​mo·​tion ˌself-prə-ˈmō-shən 

plural self-promotions

: the act of furthering one's own growth, advancement, or prosperity : the promotion of oneself

didn't try to disguise his self-promotion

self-promoter

ˌself-prə-ˈmō-tər 

noun

plural self-promoters

a self-promoter who never mentioned his teammates in interviews

They both worked tirelessly on the project and never thought about bringing attention to themselves. They weren't self-promoters …

—Jim Lambert

self-promoting

ˌself-prə-ˈmō-tiŋ 

adjective

self-promoting speeches

a self-promoting celebrity/politician

Examples of self-promotion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Print-media outlets—at least the types of places that can still afford investigative desks—are often sclerotic, quasi-puritanical institutions that discourage their practitioners from too much self-promotion or marketing. —Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026

But the proliferation of his branding on government entities shows a brazen vigor at self-promotion. —Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026

Republicans must put results ahead of ego, teamwork ahead of self-promotion, and winning ahead of personal squabbles. —Ct Mirror, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2026

Even corporate executives are now influencers, blurring the boundaries between leadership and self-promotion. —Taylor Crumpton, Time, 12 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-promotion

• locomotion
• commotion
• demotion
• devotion
• emotion
• laotian
• promotion
• lotion
• notion
• ocean
• potion