1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

self-accusation

noun

Definition of self-accusationnext
as in confession

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of self-accusation This element of self-accusation is what makes an apocalypse story distinctively modern. — Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-accusation
  1. confession
  2. self-betrayal
  3. avowal
  4. admission
  5. self-reproach
  6. acknowledgment
  7. declaration
  8. affirmation
Noun
  • De Mello’s confession came just days before Lizzie’s trial began on June 5, 1893, raising questions about whether his arrest influenced the jury.
    — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The book stresses the importance of the sacraments and other orthodoxy, such as oral confession to a priest and the transubstantiation of Christ’s body and blood when taking communion.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of confession
Noun
  • The lesson is visibility without self-betrayal.
    — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
  • This self-betrayal reduces your ability to engage in an unself-conscious, fully authentic way.
    — Liz Kislik, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Definition of self-betrayal
Noun
  • As with most impassioned avowals made on hotel steps, Congress ignored it.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Speeches land as heartfelt confessions as hesitant characters gently lay the groundwork until the moment of avowal becomes unavoidable.
    — Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 17 Feb. 2026
Definition of avowal
Noun
  • Those admissions would not, by themselves, invalidate the verdict.
    — Monu Bedi, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Shortly after Muniz’s post, Price posted an Instagram story with a message that some followers speculated may be a response to the actor’s admission.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of admission
Noun
  • On the one hand, self-reproach is a convenient stance for showrunner Ryan Condal to take.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 June 2026
  • Laughing, by contrast, conveyed that the person understood the mistake was trivial and didn’t require dramatic self-reproach.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of self-reproach
Noun
  • The decision establishing the fund is very clear that contributions are voluntary and the act of contributing should not be interpreted as an acknowledgment of liability.
    — Tarun Gopalakrishnan, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Hernández concluded the bit with a special acknowledgement directed at Matthew McConaughey.
    — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of acknowledgment
Noun
  • But campaigners and researchers say the declaration must now lead to action.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The burial ground was eventually forgotten until at least 2006, when the City of New York placed restrictive declarations on the site to protect those buried there.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of declaration
Noun
  • The welcome return, another highlight in a rich career, sparked the latest of Scott’s recurring affirmations.
    — Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 11 Sep. 2026
  • While the car caravans are acknowledged as a symbol of cultural pride and, for many, an affirmation of identity, Chicago city officials and Mexican Independence Day festival planners alike worry about the potential danger.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of affirmation

Browse Nearby Words

self-absorption
self-accusation
self-accusations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-accusation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-accusation. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of elegiac

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All