View synonyms for

selfishness

[ sel-fish-nis ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the quality or state of caring only for oneself or one’s own interests:
The author rants at length about the selfishness and general disregard for others that he sees at the root of modern society.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of selfishness¹

selfish ( def ) + -ness ( def )

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Compare Meanings

How does selfishness compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

self-interest vs. selfishness

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He asked the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics to open their eyes to the connections between the climate crisis, poverty and selfishness.

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“Things are looking bleak,” Jonathan belts in a duet that pits his selfishness against her do-gooderism over a militaristic drumbeat.

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The highfalutin parallel is to “Candide,” the classic 18th century novel about a naif who endures the horrors of civilization: chaos, selfishness, disease and destruction.

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Trump’s life philosophy is based on selfishness, self-interest and corrupt power.

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"It is not the outsiders who have damaged Africa the most, but the mutilated will of the people and the selfishness of some of our own leaders," she wrote.

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Related Words

selfish self-judgment

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