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Synonyms

self-absorption

American  
[self-ab-sawrp-shuhn, -zawrp-, self-] / ˈsɛlf æbˈsɔrp ʃən, -ˈzɔrp-, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

  1. preoccupation with oneself or one's own affairs, especially to the extent that other people and things go unnoticed.

    His self-absorption was ignored by his parents, who denied the possibility of its being symptomatic of autism.
self-absorption British  

noun

  1. preoccupation with oneself to the exclusion of others or the outside world

  2. physics the process in which some of the radiation emitted by a material is absorbed by the material itself

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of self-absorption

First recorded in 1860–65

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.

Specifically, the grand tradition of American tourism abroad; it is a classic story about four young Americans whose “cultural enlightenment” is blinded by their own self absorption.

From Slate • Jul. 15, 2019

Griffin’s self absorption may be frustrating, and sometimes comical, but from all we know, he is an A-plus citizen with a good heart.

From Washington Times • Sep. 16, 2014

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.