self-identify

American  

[self-ahy-den-ti-fahy, ‐i-den-ti-fahy] / ˈsɛlf aɪˈdɛn tɪˌfaɪ, ‐ɪˈdɛn tɪˌfaɪ /

verb (used without object)

1. identify.

   to self-identify as gay; to self-identify with others in the same situation.

---

verb (used with object)

1. identify.

   I've never self-identified myself with that radical mentality. She sometimes self-identifies herself with her patients.

Other Word Forms

• self-identification
  noun

Etymology

Origin of self-identify

First recorded in 1960–65; self ( def. ) + identify ( def. )

Example Sentences

She notes that when a child dies, the surviving children tend to “continue to self-identify in relation to their deceased sibling—keeping their old place in line.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Activists warned that the bill could upend the lives of thousands, and runs counter to a landmark 2014 Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the right of transgender people to self-identify.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Kara didn't self-identify by the 6 June deadline, so is waiting to see if the military flags her for separation - the 30-day window means that should happen by 6 July.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2025

"Before then, Americans were typically more likely to self-identify as members of the middle or upper-middle class and less likely to say they belonged to the working or lower class."

From Salon • Nov. 2, 2024

These numbers are “likely an undercount — as students self-identify as experiencing homelessness,” said district spokesman Britt A. Vaughan.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2024