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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
Hannah Sacks, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Aguilar was spotted taking selfies with students waiting in line to attend a UCLA women’s basketball game in early March.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025
Deepfake selfies Many financial institutions use selfies for customer verification.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Reacher star Alan Ritchson says his high school bully later asked him for a selfie
Granted, Sten will be plenty busy herself.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Mar. 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 15 Apr. 2025.
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