self-reference

American  

[self-ref-er-uhns, -ref-ruhns] / ˈsɛlfˈrɛf ər əns, -ˈrɛf rəns /

noun

1. reference made to oneself, to one's own character or experience, or to a group with which one identifies.

2. Logic. the property of a statement that is a statement about itself, as “This statement is grammatical.”

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Sensitive Note

Social, ethnic, or other groups often use terms of self-reference in a neutral, even affectionate or jocular way, much like nicknames. These self-referential terms function to reinforce solidarity among members of the group. However, when used by outsiders, these very same terms are perceived as offensive by those who belong to the group. Examples of self-referential terms are Canuck, chick, dyke, geek, nigger, queer.

Other Word Forms

• self-referential
  adjective
• self-referring
  adjective
• self-referentially
  adverb

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-reference

New designs frequently recall classic models, in a cycle of self-reference as constant as the ticking of a second hand.

From New York Times ● Aug. 30, 2019

“When communities co-opt terms for self-reference or self-empowerment, it’s saying you can’t use that word against me. It belongs to me now,” he explains.

From Washington Post ● May 15, 2019

Pincus-Witten taxed him with narcissism—not incorrectly, but he failed to credit the steely discipline with which Nauman marshals his uses of self-reference.

From The New Yorker ● Oct. 29, 2018

Poetic self-reference matters more than strict consistency, attitude more than mythology.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2018

She was too rancourless, too detached from conventional standards, too free from private self-reference.

From The Bostonians, Vol. I (of II) by James, Henry