ego

American  

[ee-goh, eg-oh] / ˈi goʊ, ˈɛg oʊ /

noun

• egos
  plural

1. the “I” or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.

2. Psychoanalysis. the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment.

3. egotism; conceit; self-importance.

   Her ego becomes more unbearable each day.

4. self-esteem or self-image; feelings.

   Your criticism wounded his ego.

5. (often initial capital letter)

   1. the enduring and conscious element that knows experience.

   2. Scholasticism. the complete person comprising both body and soul.

6. Ethnology. a person who serves as the central reference point in the study of organizational and kinship relationships.

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ego British  

/ ˈɛɡəʊ, ˈiːɡəʊ /

noun

1. the self of an individual person; the conscious subject

2. psychoanal the conscious mind, based on perception of the environment from birth onwards: responsible for modifying the antisocial instincts of the id and itself modified by the conscience (superego)

3. one's image of oneself; morale

   to boost one's ego

4. egotism; conceit

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ego Cultural  

1. The “I” or self of any person (ego is Latin for “I”). In psychological terms, the ego is the part of the psyche that experiences the outside world and reacts to it, coming between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social environment, represented by the superego.

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Discover More

The term ego is often used to mean personal pride and self-absorption: “Losing at chess doesn't do much for my ego.”

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• egos
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ego

First recorded in 1780–90; from Latin: “I”; psychoanalytic term is translation of German (das) Ich “(the) I”

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Explanation

Your ego is your conscious mind, the part of your identity that you consider your "self." If you say someone has "a big ego," then you are saying he is too full of himself. Poor ego, it gets such a bad rap, being so often confused with "megalomania" and "vanity" and all kinds of other nasty things, but strictly speaking it is only a psychological term popularized by Freud meaning the conscious (as opposed to the unconscious) mind, or the awareness of one's own identity and existence. Nothing wrong in that, is there?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ego egos

“The ego of the artist is a tricky thing.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

"He's a top bloke, really nice guy, good, honest, kind, decent northerner and I love that about Kevin, that there is no ego with him. He is what you get."

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

"ASEAN members are more than willing to help," Malaysian parliamentarian Hassan Abdul Karim told AFP, "provided Indonesia is willing to swallow their bigger ego and pride."

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

By seeking public office, “I was dipping my big toe into a tide of ambition, ego, and irrationality,” he wrote later.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

As I watch the loading page and prepare my ego for more losses, I try to push any thoughts of Grandma and Ghana out of my mind.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

The crux of this story is on Nelson and Morrison’s shoulders, and their sincerity flies in the face of good judgment and self-editing, giving viewers a palpable sense of their egos.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

"You've seen the big personalities, the big egos in this case, and you'll judge it, you'll cut through it," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Absolutely, and the way it doesn’t get into my head is watching other comedians destroy their careers because of their big egos.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Before the race, Jorgenson talked about setting egos aside.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

Conferences dragged, producers got inspirations that had to carefully get shot down, directors needed their egos soothed.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

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Related Words

• character
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