self-effacement

American  

[self-i-feys-muhnt, self-] / ˈsɛlf ɪˈfeɪs mənt, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. the act or fact of keeping oneself in the background, as in humility.

---

self-effacement British  

noun

1. the act of making oneself, one's actions, etc, inconspicuous, esp because of humility or timidity

---

Other Word Forms

• self-effacingness
  noun
• self-effacing
  adjective
• self-effacingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of self-effacement

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-effacement

“Bluesky apology forms” even began to circulate among lefties with a sense of humor and self-effacement.

From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026

Stuart had to paint humility and self-effacement when his favorite clientele laughed at his jokes, drank with him and enjoyed his raconteur flirtations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Modesty, wit, self-effacement: They shape every line of his work.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 23, 2023

While the spectacle of awards shows can be embarrassing, a cringe-making combo of self-congratulation and self-effacement, the hype always gets me in the end.

From New York Times ● Jan. 14, 2023

It is safer, you conclude, to choose self-effacement at this critical moment in your career.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker