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.
This conception of the court’s role is both self-serving and an ambitious overstatement.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Elmosnino is an amusing villain, making his most self-serving machinations sound reasonable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
But despite mom’s self-serving machinations and to her infinite surprise, Mary, saintly and wise, starts to prove herself irresistible to men.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
But the TRA's panel said his apology was "self-serving" and did not recognise the severity of his misconduct.
From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026
They knew what had happened at school, and what was happening now, but they dismissed it in that self-serving way parents often had of pretending anything they can’t solve is not really a problem.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
