self-immolation
noun
self-im·mo·la·tion
ˌself-ˌi-mə-ˈlā-shən 
: a deliberate and willing sacrifice of oneself often by fire
Examples of self-immolation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Gough’s performance is a savage self-immolation of a woman who only knows how to feign joy — and then only ever in extremis — but equally crucial to the moment is the clothing that costume designer Michael Wilkinson arms her with.
—
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2025
It was sparked by the self-immolation of a Tunisian street vendor to protest police corruption and abuses.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
Pryor, though, largely lost his bite after his self-immolation, which the film (and later Pryor’s family) characterized as a suicide attempt.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025
Officials would not confirm whether the self-immolation was an act of protest.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Malcolm Browne’s picture of Thích Quảng Đức’s self-immolation.
—Lucy McKeon, New York Times, 3 June 2024
The pervasive self-immolation that results gives the movie enough edge to make up for the weak car stunts, although the bikers’ skull helmets are among the most badass the genre has to offer.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 21 June 2024
Unfortunately, Lewis just so happened to recently find himself at the scene of a murder involving none other than Rose's policeman ex-boyfriend Joel (Kyle Gallner), the person who witnessed Rose's self-immolation in the final minutes of the first movie and damned himself in the process.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024
The fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation 14 years ago inspired Tunisians to topple their longtime dictator and kicked off the 2011 Arab Spring.
—Ian Bremmer, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024
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.
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2025
It was sparked by the self-immolation of a Tunisian street vendor to protest police corruption and abuses.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
Pryor, though, largely lost his bite after his self-immolation, which the film (and later Pryor’s family) characterized as a suicide attempt.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025
Officials would not confirm whether the self-immolation was an act of protest.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Malcolm Browne’s picture of Thích Quảng Đức’s self-immolation.
—Lucy McKeon, New York Times, 3 June 2024
The pervasive self-immolation that results gives the movie enough edge to make up for the weak car stunts, although the bikers’ skull helmets are among the most badass the genre has to offer.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 21 June 2024
Unfortunately, Lewis just so happened to recently find himself at the scene of a murder involving none other than Rose's policeman ex-boyfriend Joel (Kyle Gallner), the person who witnessed Rose's self-immolation in the final minutes of the first movie and damned himself in the process.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024
The fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation 14 years ago inspired Tunisians to topple their longtime dictator and kicked off the 2011 Arab Spring.
—Ian Bremmer, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Self-immolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-immolation. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share