Did you know?
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
Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
The exchange of private details and photographs, including explicit selfies, is common.
—Maya Salam Maya Salam, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024
In a selfie with our dingy-green masks, Erica beams with sweet enthusiasm.
—Andrew Chapman, Longreads, 18 Apr. 2024
It was intended to get the droves of tourists to stop trampling wildflowers, stealing sea shells off the beaches, camping illegally and snarling traffic on Highway 1 while taking selfies.
—Kristin J. Bender, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
No professional cameras or selfie sticks are allowed.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2024
As fans, celebs, and influencers flock to the desert, anticipate your social feeds being filled with Ferris wheel photos, selfies on film, and some very interesting festival fashion.
—Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 12 Apr. 2024
What started as an atypical rescue on a Georgia road ended with a social media-worthy selfie.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
One photo in the upload was a side-profile selfie of Chelsea all dolled up.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'selfie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to selfie
Dictionary Entries Near selfie
Cite this Entry
“Selfie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selfie. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Share