self-imposed

American  

[self-im-pohzd, self-] / ˈsɛlf ɪmˈpoʊzd, ˌsɛlf- /

adjective

1. imposed on one by oneself.

   a self-imposed task.

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self-imposed British  

adjective

1. (of a task, role, or circumstance) having been imposed on oneself by oneself

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Etymology

Origin of self-imposed

First recorded in 1775–85

Explanation

Anything that's self-imposed has been decided by you, not enforced by someone else. If you set a self-imposed bedtime of 11:00, it's completely voluntary. Your school's starting time is decided by the school itself, but if you make sure to get there a half hour before your first class, that's self-imposed. And if your mom instructs you to apologize to a friend whose feelings you hurt, that's not self-imposed, because she's telling you to do it. When someone is described as being in "self-imposed exile," that means they've left the country of their own free will, rather than being made to leave.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-imposed

Mitchell’s self-imposed moderation might not look radical at first.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

Japan decided in April to lift its self-imposed ban on weapons exports, but the white paper highlighted problems in the country's production base that could jeopardise procurement and innovation.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

Burnham and his chancellor are also expected to stick to the government's self-imposed fiscal rules, a set of choices on government tax and spending decisions.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

But her loneliness seems largely self-imposed, perhaps compounded by what she describes as “a severe strain” of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

As if merely subsisting according to his self-imposed rules weren’t strenuous enough, Rosellini also exercised compulsively whenever he wasn’t occupied with foraging.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer