self-fulfilling prophecy
Americannoun
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a prediction, whether founded or unfounded, that is ultimately confirmed because the very act of foretelling it influences behaviors and perceptions in ways that ultimately bring it about.
Etymology
Origin of self-fulfilling prophecy
First recorded in 1945–50
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.
I’m mostly living the self-fulfilling prophecy of the nunnery, though I have recently made a Bumble profile.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
While the first autism studies in the 1940s did include a small cohort of girls, the condition appeared to be more prevalent in boys and the gender divide became a "self-fulfilling prophecy".
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
One knock-on effect might be that farmers plant less for fear of losing crops to a strong El Niño, making its impact on ag commodity prices a self-fulfilling prophecy, Marex says.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026
People who expect elevated price increases may choose to spend more in the present and demand higher wage increases, which could make inflation expectations a self-fulfilling prophecy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
“Delphine, do you know what a self-fulfilling prophecy is?”
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.