self-appointed

adjective

self-ap·​point·​ed ˌself-ə-ˈpȯin-təd How to pronounce self-appointed (audio)
: appointed by oneself : self-proclaimed

Examples of self-appointed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Whether on Instagram or CNN, analysts (professional and self-appointed) behave like modern-day soothsayers, peering at the tea leaves of polls, social media, video clips and the general zeitgeist to utter words of prophecy and, increasingly, doom. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2024 Soccer is not only conditioned to believe that every wave is there to be ridden, but economically structured so that anything new or bright or promising is immediately acquired by the game’s (often self-appointed) great and good. Rory Smith, New York Times, 24 May 2024 Her famed moniker was self-appointed and even her accent was a product of her own creation. Mikelle Street, Essence, 22 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-appointed was in 1662

Dictionary Entries Near self-appointed

Cite this Entry

“Self-appointed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-appointed. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

self-appointed

adjective
self-ap·​point·​ed
ˌsel-fə-ˈpȯint-əd
: appointed by oneself usually without qualifications
a self-appointed guardian

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