self-portrait

noun

self-por·​trait ˌself-ˈpȯr-trət How to pronounce self-portrait (audio)
-ˌtrāt
: a portrait of oneself done by oneself

Examples of self-portrait in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The extraordinary exhibition unfolds in scenes, beginning with a self-portrait by South African photographer Zanele Muholi, followed by a dual-screen video installation featuring archival images from the 19th and 20th centuries. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026 The verticality of these works can be seen as an aspirational self-portrait in which destruction and rebirth are literally and metaphorically merged. — John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026 The Potato Eaters, Irises, Sunflowers, self-portraits, and The Starry Night. — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026 Displayed against the bedroom’s 19th-century Coromandel screen is a 2025 John Kelly self-portrait modeled after Caravaggio’s The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. — Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-portrait

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-portrait was in 1822

Rhymes for self-portrait

See All Rhymes for self-portrait

Browse Nearby Words

self-pollination
self-portrait
self-possessed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-portrait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-portrait. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

self-portrait

noun
self-por·​trait
ˈself-ˈpōr-trət, 
-ˈpȯr-, 
-ˌtrāt
: a portrait of oneself made by oneself

More from Merriam-Webster on self-portrait

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about self-portrait

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