Standard Lemma guide

self-immolation

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of setting oneself on fire, especially as a form of protest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: autocremation

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of self-sacrificing oneself, in any manner of ways.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From self- + immolation.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ինքնահրկիզում (inkʻnahrkizum) — setting oneself on fire
  • Belarusian: самаспале́нне (samaspaljénnje) — setting oneself on fire
  • Bulgarian: самозапа́лване (samozapálvane) — setting oneself on fire
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自焚 (zìfén) — setting oneself on fire
  • Czech: sebeupálení — setting oneself on fire
  • Danish: selvafbrænding — setting oneself on fire
  • Dutch: zelfverbranding — setting oneself on fire
  • Finnish: polttoitsemurha — setting oneself on fire
  • French: auto-immolation — setting oneself on fire
  • Georgian: თავდაწვა (tavdac̣va) — setting oneself on fire
  • Georgian: თვითდაწვა (tvitdac̣va) — setting oneself on fire
  • German: Selbstverbrennung — setting oneself on fire
  • Greek: αυτοπυρπόληση (aftopyrpólisi) — setting oneself on fire
  • Hindi: आत्मदाह (ātmadāh) — setting oneself on fire
  • Italian: autoimmolazione — setting oneself on fire
  • Japanese: 焼身自殺 (shōshin jisatsu) — setting oneself on fire
  • Japanese: 焼身 (shōshin) — setting oneself on fire
  • Korean: 분신자살 (bunsinjasal) — setting oneself on fire
  • Macedonian: самозапалување (samozapaluvanje) — setting oneself on fire
  • Norwegian Bokmål: selvpåtenning — setting oneself on fire
  • Persian: خودسوزی (xod-suzi) — setting oneself on fire
  • Polish: samospalenie — setting oneself on fire
  • Portuguese: autoimolação — setting oneself on fire
  • Russian: самосожже́ние (samosožžénije) — setting oneself on fire
  • Slovak: sebaupálenie — setting oneself on fire
  • Spanish: autoinmolación — setting oneself on fire
  • Swedish: självförbränning — setting oneself on fire
  • Swedish: självbränning — setting oneself on fire
  • Telugu: ఆత్మాహుతి (ātmāhuti) — setting oneself on fire
  • Turkish: kendini yakma — setting oneself on fire
  • Turkish: kendini ateşe verme — setting oneself on fire
  • Turkish: özyakım — setting oneself on fire
  • Ukrainian: самоспа́лення (samospálennja) — setting oneself on fire
  • Vietnamese: tự thiêu — setting oneself on fire
  • Norwegian Bokmål: selvoppopfrelse — self-sacrificing oneself