Standard Lemma guide

self-reference

noun · verb · 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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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An act or process of referring to itself or oneself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: autoreference

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To reference itself or oneself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive, uncommon

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbh-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English reference English self-reference From self- + reference.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: autoreferència — act or process of referring to itself
  • Czech: sebevztažnost — act or process of referring to itself
  • Czech: sebereference — act or process of referring to itself
  • Czech: autoreference — act or process of referring to itself
  • Dutch: zelfreferentie — act or process of referring to itself
  • Esperanto: sinaludo — act or process of referring to itself
  • Finnish: itseviittaus — act or process of referring to itself
  • French: autoréférence — act or process of referring to itself
  • French: auto-référence — act or process of referring to itself
  • German: Selbstreferenz — act or process of referring to itself
  • German: Selbstreferenzialität — act or process of referring to itself
  • Greek: αυτοαναφορά (aftoanaforá) — act or process of referring to itself
  • Hungarian: önhivatkozás — act or process of referring to itself
  • Italian: autoreferenza — act or process of referring to itself
  • Japanese: 自己言及 (jikogenkyū) — act or process of referring to itself
  • Japanese: 自己参照 (jikosanshō) — act or process of referring to itself
  • Korean: 자기 언급 (jagi eon'geup) — act or process of referring to itself
  • Korean: 자기 참조 (jagi chamjo) — act or process of referring to itself
  • Polish: autoreferencja — act or process of referring to itself
  • Portuguese: autorreferência — act or process of referring to itself
  • Russian: саморефере́нция (samoreferéncija) — act or process of referring to itself
  • Spanish: autorreferencia — act or process of referring to itself
  • Swedish: självreferens — act or process of referring to itself
  • Ukrainian: автореференція f самореференція (avtoreferencija) — act or process of referring to itself