self-conception

noun

self-con·​cep·​tion ˌself-kən-ˈsep-shən How to pronounce self-conception (audio)

Examples of self-conception 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.
That self-conception clashed with what they were being asked to do. Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026 Encompassing Africana studies, medieval scholarship, historiography, and philosophy, this book surveys centuries of literature, history, and theology to argue for Africa’s influence on Europe’s self-conception. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026 In other words, the goonstate, so central to the subculture’s branding and self-conception, is only rarely attained. Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 Part of him wants to aggrandize the country to reflect his own inflated self-conception. Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025 The foreign minister’s comments were confusing, but his deputy elucidated them in much clearer terms about the government’s self-conception. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025 And this right to dissent, on moral grounds, is something that Zinn rightfully pinpoints as essential to America’s self-conception. James Folta, Literary Hub, 30 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-conception was in 1875

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-conception.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-conception. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster