self-appointed

American  

[self-uh-poin-tid] / ˈsɛlf əˈpɔɪn tɪd /

adjective

1. chosen by oneself to act in a certain capacity or to fulfill a certain function, especially pompously or self-righteously.

   a self-appointed guardian of the public's morals.

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self-appointed British  

adjective

1. having assumed authority without the agreement of others

   a self-appointed critic

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Other Word Forms

• self-appointment
  noun

Etymology

Origin of self-appointed

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-appointed

He said "in the age of the Tiger" - his self-appointed nickname - the state would be forceful and decisive against crime.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Ms. Joselit vividly captures Kaplan’s fervor to fulfill his self-appointed life mission to prod American Jews forward from their 19th-century diaspora ghettoes into the freedoms of 20th-century America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026

And in spotlighting grandfather Noam Tibon’s self-appointed mission to reach his loved ones, Avrich grasps that too, offering up “The Road Between Us” as an immersive action-thriller.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2025

Adams, 66, is closely associated with Benjamin Netanyahu's government and has previously told BBC Sport he is a "self-appointed ambassador to Israel".

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2025

He remembers the advice of Ward Hill Lamon, the walrus-mustached, self-appointed head of Lincoln’s security detail, who said that Lincoln should not go out at night under any circumstances.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly