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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
Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
However, there is one thing in his life that reminds him of what he's gone through — selfies.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Don't ask for selfies with royals and don't take close‑up photos of them unless you're explicitly permitted.
—Veronica Bravo, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
To use it, the guest just needs to upload a selfie and the technology generates face recognition data to identify them at the arena.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for selfie
Cite this Entry
“Selfie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selfie. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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