self-inflicted

American

[self-in-flik-tid, self-] / ˈsɛlf ɪnˈflɪk tɪd, ˌsɛlf- /

adjective

inflicted by oneself upon oneself.

a self-inflicted wound.

self-inflicted British

adjective

(of an injury) having been inflicted on oneself by oneself

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

self-infliction

noun

Etymology

Origin of self-inflicted

First recorded in 1775–85

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.

See Examples For:

self-inflicted

The self-inflicted wound, though, failed to discourage Villa as they refused to lie down and accept a Barcelona victory.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Some of his MPs felt this was a self-inflicted tangle he could have done without.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

Kudos to him for acknowledging how little trust Americans place in media institutions and implying that the media’s credibility wounds are self-inflicted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

But on Monday, a federal district court judge in Massachusetts postponed the effective date on the grounds that—and I am paraphrasing here—the rule is mind-bendingly stupid and would create a needless, self-inflicted economic catastrophe.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

It was as if the entire civilization had undergone some self-inflicted brain surgery, and most of its memories, discoveries, ideas and passions were extinguished irrevocably.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023