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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
Charna Flam, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Come to take selfies amid the flowers, or linger in the evenings for a sound and light show.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025
The selfie camera also gets an upgrade to 50MP, and both front and rear cameras support 4K at 30fps.
—Iyaz Akhtar, PCMAG, 4 Mar. 2025
Along with her post, Bertinelli included a selfie of her and Goodnough snuggling into one another, likely taken during their relationship.
—Effie Orfanides, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Selfie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selfie. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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