self-reflexive

adjective

self-re·​flex·​ive ˌself-ri-ˈflek-siv How to pronounce self-reflexive (audio)
: marked by or making reference to its own artificiality or contrivance
self-reflexive fiction
self-reflexively adverb
self-reflexiveness noun
self-reflexivity noun

Examples of self-reflexive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The self-reflexive qualities of the work go further, and the film can surely be read as a statement about the limits and possibilities of a totally analogue and backwards-gazing practice. Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 17 June 2026 Though soaps were not without their occasional levity, the earnest self-seriousness of their proceedings often prevented them from engaging in self-reflexive critique. Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 However, the rich subtext of its casting adds a whole new layer that often promises to supersede these self-reflexive gestures. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026 An inventive, self-reflexive director, necessity has forced Panahi to stretch the boundaries of film and contort it into new forms. Thomas Page, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026 Movie depictions of video stores are inherently self-reflexive, and many of them express the resistance of the theatrical-movie business to its home-video frenemy. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-reflexive was in 1933

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Cite this Entry

“Self-reflexive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-reflexive. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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