self-fulfilling

American

[self-fool-fil-ing] / ˈsɛlf fʊlˈfɪl ɪŋ /

adjective

characterized by or bringing about self-fulfillment.
happening or brought about as a result of being foretold, expected, or talked about.

a self-fulfilling prophecy.

self-fulfilling British

adjective

(of an opinion or prediction) borne out because it is expected to be true or to happen

a self-fulfilling prophecy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does self-fulfilling prophecy mean? A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that causes itself to be true due to the behavior (including the act of predicting it) of the believer. Self-fulling, here, means “brought about as a result of being foretold or talked about,” while prophecy refers to the prediction.

Etymology

Origin of self-fulfilling

First recorded in 1950–55

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023