self-inflicted

adjective

self-in·​flict·​ed ˌself-in-ˈflik-təd How to pronounce self-inflicted (audio)
: inflicted or caused by oneself
a self-inflicted wound
His staff problems are self-inflicted, the product of his poor judgment and bad choices.The Guardian (United Kingdom)

Examples of self-inflicted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web During 2020, more than 4,350 people in that age range died as a result of being shot, either self-inflicted or by someone else, according to the study. Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2024 While tax stress isn’t exclusive to any age group, Gen Z’s interest in these particular ways of making money means their woes are, in part, self-inflicted. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2024 Although much of this Palestinian political dysfunction was self-inflicted, Israel has actively worked to promote weakness and division among Palestinians to maintain its indefinite rule over the occupied territories. Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2023 Among the youngest age group, kids 0 to 5 years old, more than half of unintentional firearm deaths were found to be self-inflicted by the child. Alexander Tin, CBS News, 14 Dec. 2023 But other causes of weak, thin, or brittle nails are self-inflicted. Kylie Gilbert, Glamour, 7 Dec. 2023 To some extent the wounds from overwork are often self-inflicted. Shannon Hall, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2023 When the fighting ended, Allende was found at his desk, dead of a gunshot wound, possibly self-inflicted. Norman Kempster, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023 The wound appeared to be self-inflicted, police said. Victoria Arancio, ABC News, 19 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-inflicted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-inflicted was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near self-inflicted

Cite this Entry

“Self-inflicted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-inflicted. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

self-inflicted

adjective
self-in·​flict·​ed
ˌsel-fin-ˈflik-təd
: inflicted by oneself
a self-inflicted wound

Medical Definition

self-inflicted

adjective
self-in·​flict·​ed -in-ˈflik-təd How to pronounce self-inflicted (audio)
: inflicted by oneself
a self-inflicted wound

More from Merriam-Webster on self-inflicted

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