self-interest
Americannoun
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regard for one's own interest or advantage, especially with disregard for others.
He appears to be motivated solely by self-interest, greed, and an insatiable hunger for self-aggrandizement.
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personal interest or advantage.
It is particularly hard to understand why a group would vote against its own self-interest.
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Economics. the doctrine that acting to one’s own benefit or advantage can also result in a benefit for society at large.
Adam Smith believed that individuals pursuing rational self-interest would create wealth through efficient production and competition.
noun
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one's personal interest or advantage
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the act or an instance of pursuing one's own interest
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-interest
First recorded in 1640–50
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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.
Customers complained the line from the Ayn Rand book “Atlas Shrugged,” which promotes self-interest, was contradictory to the inclusive teachings of yoga.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
“It becomes in your own economic self-interest to use as much water as you can,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Impacted companies also do much of the investigative legwork, out of necessity and self-interest.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
Political scientists commonly believe economics is the predominant political issue for most people, and they view it from the perspective of their own self-interest.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
By measuring a contestant’s actual votes against the votes that would truly best serve his self-interest, it’s possible to tell if discrimination is at play.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
Definitions 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.
