self-imposed

American  

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

adjective

1. imposed on one by oneself.

   a self-imposed task.

---

self-imposed British  

adjective

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

---

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

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

But many consumer packaged goods companies have eased off self-imposed recycled content pledges or pushed their timelines out another decade, citing costs and lack of recycling infrastructure.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Comedy wins the argument again, delaying Deborah’s self-imposed deadline indefinitely.

From Salon ● May 29, 2026

Johann Sebastian Bach composed some of his best works by hewing to a self-imposed fugal format.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

Apparently her self-imposed sentence of unadulterated good-listenership had been fully served.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger