narcissism
Americannoun
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inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity.
- Synonyms:
- egocentrism, smugness
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Psychiatry. narcissistic personality disorder.
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Psychoanalysis. erotic gratification derived from admiration of one's own physical or mental attributes, being a normal condition at the infantile level of personality development.
noun
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an exceptional interest in or admiration for oneself, esp one's physical appearance
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sexual satisfaction derived from contemplation of one's own physical or mental endowments
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of narcissism
First recorded in 1820–25, and in 1900–05 narcissism for def. 3; see narcissus, -ism. The psychoanalysis meaning is from the German word Narzissismus, coined in 1899 by Paul Näcke (1851–1913), German psychiatrist and criminologist
Explanation
Do you have a friend who constantly turns the conversation to themselves, as in "That's great about your winning the award but do you think these pants look good on me?" They're putting their narcissism, or excessive love of self, on display. In psychoanalysis, narcissism is erotic gratification derived from excessive love for yourself, and is considered to be a normal developmental stage. The reference is to Narcissus, a beautiful youth in Greek mythology who fell in love with his reflection in a body of water and was changed into the flower narcissus, which grows near water.
Vocabulary lists containing narcissism
Power Suffix: -ism
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - Middle School
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Ancient Greece: Mythology and Literature - Middle School
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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.
S Mark Young, a professor at the University of Southern California and author of The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America, says Federline's book is unlikely to change people's minds about her.
From BBC • Oct. 24, 2025
Narcissism really has to do with the person’s intentions and how they view the world.
From Slate • Jan. 17, 2023
Narcissism is a self-centred personality trait, characterised by feelings of privilege and predominance over others.
From Salon • Apr. 16, 2022
Narcissism and loneliness are hardly interchangeable personality traits and generally are not present simultaneously.
From Washington Post • Jul. 26, 2021
Narcissism, 2, 38, 54-8, 69, 74-5, 93, 94, 104.
From Group Psychology and The Analysis of The Ego by Freud, Sigmund
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.
