Look up self-inflicted in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
A self-inflicted wound (SIW) or self-inflicted injury (SII) is a physical injury done to oneself. This may occur in contexts including:
- Suicide or suicide attempt[1]
- Self-harm (non-suicidal self-injury)[1]
- As a result of an organic brain syndrome[2]: S82
- Pursuit of an ulterior motive, including:
- Self-surgery,[2]: S82 including:
- Body modification, including for ritual purposes[3]: 71
- Autoeroticism[2]: S82
While some sources use the terms to include accidental injury,[5]: 408 others cast "self-inflicted" in opposition to "accidental".[6][7][8]
The term is also used metaphorically, akin to "shooting oneself in the foot".
