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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
Hannah Malach, InStyle, 7 Apr. 2026
After Trump won, Altman donated a million dollars to his inaugural fund, then took selfies with the influencers Jake and Logan Paul at the Inauguration.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
That's a downer for the vloggers and selfie fans, but not a serious drawback for photography and videography shot from behind the camera.
—Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
Beckham climbed over a short barrier and spent a couple of minutes with fans who leaned down from the stands as the man who started all this 12 years ago signed autographs and posed for selfies.
—Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for selfie
Cite this Entry
“Selfie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selfie. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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