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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
PC Magazine, 18 May 2025
At various points, the Mandalorian actor blew kisses, playfully stuck out his tongue and snapped selfies with his costars.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 17 May 2025
Kanye tried taking a selfie with Myers, but Myers dodged it, pushing a bunch of buttons and making the elevator halt in its tracks.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 17 May 2025
McQuarrie took numerous selfies with the cast on an otherwise phone-free carpet.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 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 25 May. 2025.
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