egoistic

American  

[ee-goh-is-tik, eg-oh-] / ˌi goʊˈɪs tɪk, ˌɛg oʊ- /

Also egoistical

adjective

1. pertaining to or of the nature of egoism.

2. being centered in or preoccupied with oneself and the gratification of one's own desires; self-centered (opposed to altruistic).

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Other Word Forms

• antiegoistic adjective
• antiegoistical adjective
• antiegoistically adverb
• egoistically adverb
• nonegoistic adjective
• nonegoistical adjective
• nonegoistically adverb
• unegoistical adjective
• unegoistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of egoistic

First recorded in 1825–35; egoist + -ic

Explanation

Egoistic people believe we all put our own needs before those of others. If you're sure that self-interest inspires every human action — yes, even rescuing that sweet kitten from a tree — then you, my friend, are egoistic. Don't confuse egoistic with egotistic, a word which is often, and wrongly, used interchangeably with it. To be egotistic is to have too inflated an opinion of yourself — in other words, it's a form of self-delusion rather than a particular way of looking at the world. You can be egoistic without being egotistic. Got it?

Example Sentences

He said that taking his campaign to Oli's door was not "an egoistic decision", but was designed to create wider impact.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

What we can do—what many of us try to do over the course of our lives—is find our own unique hill on which we occupy the top and take our egoistic satisfaction that way.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

“I can’t understand. I can’t accept this very strange and very egoistic game of Viktor Orban.”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2024

We're of service to something greater than ourselves and our own selfish, egoistic needs.

From Salon • May 26, 2023

From the standpoint of egoistic interest it would merely be stupid of the little fellow not to tolerate two persons in his services rather than only one.

From A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Freud, Sigmund