self-delusion

American

[self-di-loo-zhuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlf dɪˈlu ʒən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

the act or fact of deluding oneself.

self-delusion British

noun

the act or state of deceiving or deluding oneself

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of self-delusion

First recorded in 1625–35

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.

“The depths of his self-delusion are staggering,” Mr. Hart pronounces.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025

See above re: superhuman levels of self-delusion that typically function as an asset.

From Slate • Jul. 24, 2025

Those tour de force scenes are a reminder of Fisher’s canny ear for the specific cadence of Angelenos fully immersed in the twinned make-believe worlds of moviemaking and self-delusion.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2024

We live twin lives of self-delusion, thinking and hoping we are good people and secretly knowing we’re probably not.

From Salon • Nov. 22, 2023

I suppose our capacity for self-delusion is boundless.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023