self-examination
Americannoun
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examination into one's own state, conduct, motives, etc.
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Medicine/Medical. examination of one's body for signs of illness or disease.
breast self-examination.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-examination
First recorded in 1640–50
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.
“There’s so much more self-examination — and so much more self-indictment,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
A report last week by Yale University contains a surprising dose of self-examination that dares to agree with what many of its critics have been saying for years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
On Dec. 20, The Times published a massive self-examination that broke down what went wrong.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2024
Ultimately, to point fingers at others is to evade self-examination about how we got here as a nation.
From Salon • Nov. 13, 2024
He sought to strengthen them by meditation, to sustain them by spiritual exercises and discipline; he furnished them with tests and standards, and made self-examination definite and precise.
From Fletcher of Madeley by Macdonald, Frederic W.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
