self-immolation

noun

self-im·​mo·​la·​tion ˌself-ˌi-mə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce self-immolation (audio)
: a deliberate and willing sacrifice of oneself often by fire
self-immolate verb

Examples of self-immolation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But also, there’s a hunger for leadership in opposition to this administration, and the Democrats are losing an opportunity to be those leaders with their endless self-immolation. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025 According to Hindu mythology, the Hinglaj Devi temple is one of the sites where the remains of Sati, a goddess of marital devotion and longevity, fell to earth after her self-immolation. Zia Ur-Rehman Asim Hafeez, New York Times, 30 May 2025 The self-immolation, which resulted in Azzarello’s death, set a dramatic and dark tone at the trial’s outset but ultimately faded into the background of the historic case. Ella Lee, The Hill, 28 May 2025 Playing him was a kind of self-immolation for Tesfaye. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 16 May 2025 The last flareup in the early 2010s involved a string of self-immolation incidents that critics called a desperate cry against the Chinese government’s ever-tightening grip on Tibetan society. Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 1 May 2025 Gough’s performance is a savage self-immolation of a woman who only knows how to feign joy — and then only ever in extremis — but equally crucial to the moment is the clothing that costume designer Michael Wilkinson arms her with. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2025 It was sparked by the self-immolation of a Tunisian street vendor to protest police corruption and abuses. Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025 Pryor, though, largely lost his bite after his self-immolation, which the film (and later Pryor’s family) characterized as a suicide attempt. Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-immolation was in 1799

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Cite this Entry

“Self-immolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-immolation. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

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