self-fulfilling prophecy

American  

[self-fool-fil-ing prof-uh-see] / ˈsɛlfˌfʊlˈfɪl ɪŋ ˈprɒf ə si /

noun

1. 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.

2. predestination paradox.

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Etymology

Origin of self-fulfilling prophecy

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

This is an “identity contingency” that plays out “whenever we’re in a situation where a bad stereotype about one of our own identities could be applied to us,” potentially becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

That is an important reassurance for Federal Reserve officials, who often worry that widespread concerns about future inflation can twist consumer behavior and become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

"We check, we check again - it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy."

From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025

Payroll itself should not define competitive balance, but that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy if an owner decides competing with the Dodgers would be no less futile by spending another $25 million on players.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2025

Some of them truly believed that if they wrote to her, she would come, as if it were a self-fulfilling prophecy.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers