autoreflection
|au-to-re-flec-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊrɪˈflɛkʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊrɪˈflɛkʃən/
automatic self-examination
Etymology
'autoreflection' originates from Modern English as a compound of the prefix 'auto-' and the noun 'reflection'. 'auto-' comes from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self', and 'reflection' ultimately comes from Latin 'reflectere' meaning 'to bend back'.
'reflection' changed from Latin 'reflectere' into Late Latin/Old French forms and then into Middle English 'reflecten' before becoming the modern English 'reflection'. The prefix 'auto-' entered English via scientific New Latin from Greek 'autos'. The compound 'autoreflection' is a modern formation combining these elements.
Originally 'reflectere' meant 'to bend back' physically; over time 'reflection' acquired the figurative sense of 'thinking back' or 'consideration'. Combined with 'auto-' the modern compound denotes 'self-directed or automatic looking-back', applied to mental or system processes.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or process of reflecting on oneself (one's actions, motives, or experiences) in an automatic or systematized way; self-reflection that is initiated or supported by automatic prompts or routines.
Regular autoreflection helped her identify patterns in her decision-making without waiting for yearly reviews.
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Noun 2
in computing or cognitive systems, the automatic generation or collection of information about an agent's own state or behavior for the purpose of monitoring, diagnostics, or adaptive change (auto + reflection in the sense of system introspection).
The framework includes autoreflection modules that log runtime decisions for later analysis.
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Last updated: 2025/11/28 08:06