self-referential

American

[self-ref-er-en-shuhl] / ˌsɛlfˌrɛf ərˈɛn ʃəl /

adjective

referring to oneself; used especially for a literary work that refers frequently to itself or other works by its creator or in its genre.

Example Sentences

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self-referential

The patterns repeatedly involved brain regions associated with memory and self-referential thought, or the mental processes people use when thinking about themselves and their own experiences.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

The resulting album, titled Music, Fashion, Film, is smart, self-referential, funny, antagonistic and crammed full of moments to stimulate your inner earworm.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Trading mystery for certainty, this exhibition transforms Klee from sorcerer and magician into just another self-referential sociopolitical artist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

In a film this self-referential, that’s not just her character noting her off-screen absence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026

They were all the things he tried not to be, showy and self-referential.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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