self-identify

American  

[self-ahy-den-ti-fahy, -i-den-ti-fahy] / ˈsɛlf aɪˈdɛn tɪˌfaɪ, -ɪˈdɛn tɪˌfaɪ /

verb (used without object)

1. identify.

   to self-identify as gay; to self-identify with others in the same situation.

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verb (used with object)

1. identify.

   I've never self-identified myself with that radical mentality. She sometimes self-identifies herself with her patients.

Other Word Forms

• self-identification
  noun

Etymology

Origin of self-identify

First recorded in 1960–65; self ( def. ) + identify ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-identify

She notes that when a child dies, the surviving children tend to “continue to self-identify in relation to their deceased sibling—keeping their old place in line.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

In 2014, India's Supreme Court recognised transgender people as a "third gender" and affirmed their right to self-identify.

From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026

Activists warned that the bill could upend the lives of thousands, and runs counter to a landmark 2014 Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the right of transgender people to self-identify.

From Barron's ● Mar. 24, 2026

Schickler and others said that, according to the latest estimates, more than 3 million registered voters in California self-identify as limited-English proficient.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2025

"Before then, Americans were typically more likely to self-identify as members of the middle or upper-middle class and less likely to say they belonged to the working or lower class."

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2024