A selfie is a photo you take of yourself, usually on a phone: at arm's length, with a stick or in a mirror. A group selfie is a shared one where the person taking it is in the shot too. The key rule: the person in the picture holds the camera. The word is now standard, fine in neutral writing.
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take / post / share a selfie; a group selfie; selfies
- I took a selfie beside the mural before the crowd arrived.
- We squeezed into a group selfie with the whole cast.
- She posted two selfies from the train journey.
What changed
First versionAlex took a selfie of me while I stood alone by the gate.
RevisionAlex took a photo of me while I stood alone by the gate.
Any casual phone photo of a person can feel like a selfie. But selfie only means you photograph yourself. If Alex holds the camera, it's an ordinary photo: Alex took a photo of me.
A self-portrait is a painting, drawing or carefully composed photo of yourself, often artistic. A selfie is a quick phone snap. A profile picture is the photo on your account, and it can be a selfie or a photo someone else took.
Your turn
I held the phone and photographed myself, so I took a ___.
Show the answer
selfie — You need selfie: the person holds the phone and photographs themselves. A screenshot captures what's on the screen, not you.
Describe a selfie you took somewhere interesting. Use took a selfie and name the place.
We took a group selfie in front of the painted theatre doors after the final rehearsal.
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