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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
Essie Assibu, Variety, 5 Dec. 2025
The process of applying for legal status or citizenship involves regular recordkeeping and documentation—proof of an immigrant’s day-to-day existence that Xu picks up on visually by borrowing and blowing up some of that proof, such as keepsakes and selfies.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
Patrick Smith / Getty Images The selections ended with a group selfie with Infantino.
—Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Kardashian puckered up for a selfie with her baby boy, who sported colorful face paint.
—Maria Yagoda, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 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 10 Dec. 2025.
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