self-elect

English

Etymology

self- +‎ elect

Verb

self-elect (third-person singular simple present self-elects, present participle self-electing, simple past and past participle self-elected)

1. To self-select; to choose for oneself, rather than having another choose for one.
   • 1520, Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works Together With the Letter of Dedication:

     In the fundamental part he therefore argues: “Truly good works are not self-elected works of monastic or any other holiness, but such only as God has commanded, and as are comprehended within the bounds of one's particular calling, and all works.

   • 2001, The Development Dimensions of Trade, page 13:

     GATT Contracting Parties have self-elected their designation, most recently when the WTO was created.

   • 2003, Juana María Rodríguez, Queer Latinidad: Identity Practices, Discursive Spaces, page 133:

     Rather than a kind of lawlessness, these chatrooms occasion the opportunity for each community to write and enforce its own rules about online conduct and self-elect its enforcers.

   • 2011, Peter C. Phan, Christianities in Asia, page 154:

     In response, the CCPA began to “self-elect” bishops at the instigation of the government.

2. (transitive, intransitive) To self-appoint; to volunteer; to take on a role one has chosen for oneself.
   • 1802, Charles Lamb, John Woodvil, A Tragedy:

     Which of ye will venture upon me? —Will you, Mr. Constable self-elect? or you, sir, with a pimple on your nose, got at Oxford by hard drinking, your only badge of loyalty?

   • 2010, Robb, Martin, Thomson, Rachel, Critical practice with children and young people:

     Over the past five years they have created a model of a school community council where students can 'self-elect' to be a part of a supportive framework of student-led teams.

   • 2015, Frances E. Contreras, Achieving Equity for Latino Students, page 135:

     Students and families reacted with their feet and decided to apply to other institutions of higher education or self-elect themselves out of 4-year institutions altogether due to the preceived climate in higher education.

Adjective

self-elect (not comparable)

1. Chosen by oneself; self-appointed.
   • 1864 April 2, “Colonial Tribunals & Jurisprudence”, in The Solicitors' Journal & Reporter, volume 8, page 428:

     The House of Keys, being self-elect, in these days of popular election by the people, is not a very popular institution.

   • 1871, James Locke Batchelder, Societyism and Its Evils, page 30:

     As there would be no necessity for civil governments, if every individual was self-governed ; so in the Kingdom of GRACE, there would be no need for societies external to the churches, certainly not for close corporations, self-elect and self-electing, for the execution of the Commission.

   • 2010, Charles E. Miller, The Critics' Review, page 285:

     For Margaret, this escape had earlier meant a release from her oppressive sense of the sinfulness of conjugal relations — having given birth to a child "born in sin"; . for James, escape had lain in his assumptions of respectability, his hope for release from the stigmatized taboos of his dissolute ways through the amalgam of gentlemen rake, of poet and drunkard, of a self-elect and self-condemned man.

Noun

self-elect (countable and uncountable, plural self-elects)

1. The self-appointed elite.
   • 1863, George MacDonald, David Elginbrod, page 98:

     Meantime the minister ascended the pulpit-stair, with all the solemnity of one of the self-elect, and a priest besides.

   • 1882, Mrs. Maria Wilkin, The Shackles of an Old Love, page 221:

     Moreover, the self-elect seem as illiterate as they are tyrannical, and can hardly spell their own names.

   • 1919, Henry Watterson, "Marse Henry": An Autobiography:

     I repeat that he was never a subtle schemer— sitting behind the screen and pulling his wires— which his political and party enemies discovered him to be as soon as he began to get in the way of the machine and obstruct the march of the self-elect.

2. A volunteer.
   • 1971, Richard Sale, For the president's eyes only, page 4:

     Most of the volunteers had departed for the winter, leaving behind three hundred self-elects.