self-centered
Americanadjective
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concerned solely or chiefly with one's own interests, welfare, etc.; engrossed in self; selfish; egotistical.
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independent, self-sufficient.
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centered in oneself or itself.
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Archaic. fixed; unchanging.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-centered
First recorded in 1670–80
Explanation
A self-centered person is excessively concerned with himself and his own needs. He's selfish. You probably know some people who always talk about themselves, make every issue about themselves, and are generally all about "Me, me, me!" People like that are self-centered: as the word suggests, they are overly centered on themselves. Self-centered people tend to ignore the needs of others and only do what's best for them. You can also call them egocentric, egoistic, and egoistical. In the seventeenth century, however, self-centered meant "fixed or stationary."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I do like a bunch of self-centered people making the wrong decisions,” Munger told an interviewer about the show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
He is, instead, exactly the kind of tetchy, self-centered young man who is “more than happy to use everyone around him” to further his work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Of course, you probably don’t mean all boomers are self-centered.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 29, 2025
“I got to a place where I got over myself, because actually thinking that way is quite self-centered, and I think a little bit non-appreciative too.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2025
If I held them out because I loved him, I am still self-centered, although forgivable.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
