self-examination
Americannoun
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examination into one's own state, conduct, motives, etc.
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Medicine/Medical. examination of one's body for signs of illness or disease.
breast self-examination.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-examination
First recorded in 1640–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Also gut never does a full audit—you need your brain for that, for reflection and self-examination on how or where you went wrong, to help you next time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
Start to finish, “Reality Check” is an exercise in self-examination and culpability.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2026
Indeed, her book is replete with their habit of self-examination, an unflattering comparison with today’s legacy press.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
On Dec. 20, The Times published a massive self-examination that broke down what went wrong.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2024
But he put off his self-examination with a kind of terror.
From Saul of Tarsus A Tale of the Early Christians by Elizabeth Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
