What does "self-identify" mean?

To identify (oneself) with a particular person or group, or as part of a particular group.

What is a synonym for "self-identify"?

Common synonyms include: self-id, self-segment.

Pronounced //ˌsɛlfaɪˈdɛntɪfaɪ//.

//ˌsɛlfaɪˈdɛntɪfaɪ// verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Verb

1
To identify (oneself) with a particular person or group, or as part of a particular group. reflexive, transitive
"This is a new type of emperor; he is self-identified with the divinity, his celestial virtues legitimizing his power."
2
To identify oneself as belonging to a particular group or category. intransitive
"In this instance, 70% of Jews self-identify as leaning to or members of the Democratic party."

"Honestly, why does everyone need to self-identify and self-label themselves? It's downright ludicrous."

From self- + identify.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.