self-serving
Americanadjective
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preoccupied with one's own interests, often disregarding the truth or the interests, well-being, etc., of others.
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serving to further one's own selfish interests.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of self-serving
First recorded in 1900–05
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.
It’s indicative of leaders whose interests are self-serving.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
In a statement Tuesday, TWG Global decried “multipronged attacks against TWG … by unnamed sources with self-serving interests” and said no insurance policyholder has been hurt as a result of the company’s financial transactions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
There may be a grain of truth in that, but it is also self-serving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
This conception of the court’s role is both self-serving and an ambitious overstatement.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
The probable cause showing could be based on nothing more than hearsay, innuendo, or even the paid, self-serving testimony of someone with interests clearly adverse to the property owner.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
