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
- self-examining adjective
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.
Indeed, her book is replete with their habit of self-examination, an unflattering comparison with today’s legacy press.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025
On Dec. 20, The Times published a massive self-examination that broke down what went wrong.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2024
There’s precious little time for self-examination of any kind.
From Salon • Jul. 15, 2024
Hearing about a death from breast cancer at age 33 led Chelsea -- then 28 -- to conduct her own self-examination, where she discovered a lump.
From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2024
I invite every reader of this paper to join me in calm, searching self-examination, for a few short minutes.
From Practical Religion Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians by Ryle, John Charles
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.