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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
Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The pair leaned in close for a casual selfie, sharing the beach day with her followers.
—Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
The carousel, posted on February 6, ended with a selfie of Grey wearing sunglasses, a blue scarf, and a gray ribbed tank top, a hilly landscape behind her.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
In one photo, Trudeau, 54, captured a selfie of them wearing helmets and cheesing for the camera on a snowy mountaintop.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 10 Feb. 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 13 Feb. 2026.
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