SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY Definition & Meaning

self-fulfilling prophecy

[ self-fool-fil-ing prof-uh-see ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a prediction, whether founded or unfounded, that is ultimately confirmed because the very act of foretelling it influences behaviors and perceptions in ways that ultimately bring it about.
predestination paradox.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of self-fulfilling prophecy¹

First recorded in 1945–50

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It’s an entirely self-fulfilling prophecy.

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The health, or lack thereof, of Test cricket is debated so much it is in danger of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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So they go for broke in placating the base and infuriating the opposition, making their fear of losing the next election a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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As Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen warned in 2021, “inflation can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

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“Maybe you make another mistake, and now it becomes sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy, and then you lose that confidence in your mental capacities and your physical capacities,” Manly said.

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