egomania

American  

[ee-goh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh, eg-oh-] / ˌi goʊˈmeɪ ni ə, -ˈmeɪn yə, ˌɛg oʊ- /

noun

1. psychologically abnormal egotism.

---

egomania British  

/ ˌiːɡəʊməˈnaɪɪkəl, ˌɛɡ-, ˌɛɡ-, ˌiːɡəʊˈmeɪnɪə /

noun

1. obsessive love for oneself and regard for one's own needs

2. any action dictated by this point of view

---

egomania Cultural  

1. An extreme egotism.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• egomaniacal
  adjective
• egomaniac
  noun

Etymology

Origin of egomania

First recorded in 1815–25; ego + -mania; modeled on monomania

Explanation

If you have an obsessive, intense love for yourself, you might have egomania. People who are diagnosed with egomania always put their own needs above those of others. Simply being vain or slightly self-absorbed isn't true egomania. People who actually suffer from egomania are out of touch with reality, having delusions of their own power and greatness, and often believe they're being persecuted or are terribly unappreciated by other people. The early 19th century word combines ego, "the self," or in Latin, I, with mania, "mental derangement," and in Greek "madness, passion, or fury."