self-proclaimed
Britishadjective
Explanation
The adjective self-proclaimed means describing yourself in a certain way. Just because you're a self-proclaimed genius in the kitchen doesn't necessarily mean your family loves your creative recipes. Being self-proclaimed means making an assertion about who you are or what you're skilled at. Sometimes that matches other people's perceptions: you're a self-proclaimed dog expert, and everyone comes to you for advice about their problematic pups. But often it stems from a skewed view of your own abilities. You may be a self-proclaimed Icelandic speaker, but if no one in Reykjavík can understand a word you say, it might be time to re-think the way you describe yourself!
Vocabulary lists containing self-proclaimed
Vocabulary from Readings 1, Unit 3
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claim, clam (shout, speak out)
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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.
Ticket prices for Monday's game are out of the reach of most New Yorkers, but the self-proclaimed "World's Most Famous Arena" will still be packed to the rafters, with celebrity fans courtside.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
And with Swift's self-proclaimed penchant for numerology, she has long incorporated meaningful numbers into her albums, songs and social media posts, some believe the date could involve her favourite number: 13.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
Colbert pulled from a catalog of self-proclaimed physical flaws, from his poor vision to spotty facial hair.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
And the one by Forbes’ Randall Lane, self-proclaimed anthropologist of billionaires, about why the world needs them.
From Slate • May 8, 2026
Other hobgoblins were the brainchildren of self-proclaimed experts who cooked up idiosyncratic theories of how language ought to behave, usually with a puritanical undercurrent in which people’s natural inclinations must be a form of dissoluteness.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
