selfie

American  

[sel-fee] / ˈsɛl fi /

noun

Informal.

• selfies
  plural

1. a photograph taken with a smartphone or other digital camera by a person who is also in the photograph, especially for posting on a social media website.

   celebrities sharing selfies on Twitter.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• selfies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of selfie

First recorded in 2000–05; self + -ie

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Explanation

If you flip your cellphone around to take a photo of yourself, you'll end up with a selfie. When you visit Paris, don't forget to take a selfie at night with the Eiffel Tower in the background! Selfie is a true 21st-century word, coined around 2002 in Australia. This type of slang word formation — known as a hypocorism, or nickname — is incredibly popular in that country, where a mosquito is a mozzie and a present is a prezzie. By 2013, using cellphones to snap casual self-portraits was so common that the Oxford English Dictionary named selfie its word of the year.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

selfie selfies

Lula has even dubbed himself the "selfie king," embracing informal, direct-to-camera campaign videos.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

OKX requires identification and a matching selfie to open a wallet on its platform.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Gen Z loves nothing more than a good selfie, and the iPhone Duo has some game-changing features on that front.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Expect a flood of visitors wanting a selfie with Princess Leia battling Jabba the Hutt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

The picture, almost like a selfie of Frank, only, the point wasn’t ever to capture his smile, it was to capture his Byrd and his Axel in the place he loved most of all.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

Wardley arrived more than an hour before the event, appearing as relaxed as he has throughout fight week and even stopping for selfies with supporters afterwards.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The student journalist turned civic mobiliser launched a voter registration drive on social media earlier this year, using snappy selfies infused with music and humour to target young people.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

From the vendor selling paletas in the plaza to guests at a five-star hotel, she is instantly recognized and surrounded by people seeking selfies and hugs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

Children with their parents did the same, some of them taking selfies as police officers, mourning locals and some tourists stood by.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

I scroll down to some of Harriett’s earlier posts, where there are fewer selfies and more pictures with friends.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

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