self-effacement
noun
self-ef·face·ment
ˌself-i-ˈfās-mənt 
-e-
plural self-effacements
: the placing or keeping of oneself in an inconspicuous role or position especially due to modesty or shyness
In his one-man show, satirist Robert Dubac takes aim at a culture that values the Kardashians more than character and ranks selfies over self-effacement.—
Judith Newmark
Judith NewmarkThe polite self-effacement of his Midwestern upbringing came through …—Jon Pareles
Jon ParelesExamples of self-effacement in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s a hint of self-effacement in Campillo’s demotion of his own coming-of-age tale, an acknowledgement of the smallness of his memories relative to the island’s own seismic story of the time, even if the film never quite gives itself over to more radical ideas.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024
But in Britain, expressions of self-confidence are often interpreted as arrogance, while self-effacement comes off as endearing and down-to-earth.
—Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 15 Feb. 2024
Her clasped hands cross her head, covering her face in a gesture of self-protection and self-effacement.
—Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023
Unfortunately, the obvious lesson Providence wishes to teach us with Trump is that in our age, heroism begins in self-effacement and humility.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023
However, Swift’s truly oddball smash may stand a nearly equal chance of prevailing, rewarding the song’s grandiose self-effacement.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2023
Glenn, the techie, is all stammers and self-effacement—until Troy, in the course of his own maturation, spots something deeper.
—Dan Stahl, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2023
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Guy Lodge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024
But in Britain, expressions of self-confidence are often interpreted as arrogance, while self-effacement comes off as endearing and down-to-earth.
—Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 15 Feb. 2024
Her clasped hands cross her head, covering her face in a gesture of self-protection and self-effacement.
—Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023
Unfortunately, the obvious lesson Providence wishes to teach us with Trump is that in our age, heroism begins in self-effacement and humility.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Dec. 2023
However, Swift’s truly oddball smash may stand a nearly equal chance of prevailing, rewarding the song’s grandiose self-effacement.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2023
Glenn, the techie, is all stammers and self-effacement—until Troy, in the course of his own maturation, spots something deeper.
—Dan Stahl, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near self-effacement
Cite this Entry
“Self-effacement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-effacement. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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