self-appointed

adjective

Appointed by oneself, usually without having the right or the expertise to do so.

Similar
self-proclaimedself-styledself-professedself-ordainedsoi-disantwannabetryhardunauthorized
OriginEnglish appointed ← Middle English self- ← Old English self- →
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Meanings

adjectiveself-appointed (not comparable)
  1. not comparableAppointed by oneself, usually without having the right or the expertise to do so.

    Synonyms: self-proclaimed, self-styled, self-professed, self-ordained, soi-disant, wannabe, tryhard

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of self-appoint

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveAppointed by oneself, usually without having the right or the expertise to do so.

Similar
self-proclaimedself-styledself-professedself-ordainedsoi-disantwannabetryhard

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivedesignated or chosen by yourself

Similar
unauthorizedunauthorised
Also see
self-proclaimedself-styledunauthorized

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*swé?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*selbʰ-
  3. Proto-Germanic*selbaz
  4. Old Englishself
  5. Old Englishself-
  6. Middle Englishself-
  7. Englishself-
  8. Englishappointed
  9. Englishself-appointed

From self- + appointed.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

self-appointed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-appointed

MLA

“self-appointed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-appointed. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “self-appointed,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-appointed.

Source: self-appointed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.