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narcissistic personality disorder

American  
[nahr-suh-sis-tik pur-suh-nal-i-tee dis-awr-der] / ˌnɑr səˈsɪs tɪk ˌpɜr səˈnæl ɪ ti dɪsˌɔr dər /

noun

Psychiatry.
  1. a personality disorder characterized by extreme self-centeredness and self-absorption, fantasies involving unrealistic goals, an excessive need for attention and admiration, and disturbed interpersonal relationships. NPD


Etymology

Origin of narcissistic personality disorder

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

See Examples For:

A psychiatric expert said the man had narcissistic personality disorder and an overwhelming need for attention.

From BBC Jun. 26, 2026

He cited a psychiatric expert who diagnosed the defendant with a narcissistic personality disorder.

From Barron's Jun. 4, 2026

Years ago, hedge-fund managers, including Julian Robertson and Steve Cohen, hired in-house therapists, including Dr. Aaron Stern, an expert in narcissistic personality disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 16, 2025

But search results showed criteria for narcissistic personality disorder, a condition marked by unreasonably high self-importance, pathological need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.

From Slate Jul. 23, 2025

Based on his behavior, psychologists speculate that he could have been a psychopath and suffered from associated conditions like narcissistic personality disorder, schizophrenia and perhaps even neurosyphilis.

From Salon Sep. 11, 2022

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