self-absorption
Americannoun
noun
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preoccupation with oneself to the exclusion of others or the outside world
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physics the process in which some of the radiation emitted by a material is absorbed by the material itself
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.
A slate of songs by Charli XCX captures Catherine’s tragic self-absorption without seeming jarringly modern.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer were found guilty of, as the prosecutor put it, “selfishness, self-absorption, immaturity and greed.”
From New York Times • Apr. 6, 2024
Jacobs, the prop master, is encouraged that the show’s carefully selected signifiers of wealth, status, self-absorption and poor taste are still being appreciated by fans.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 13, 2024
His self-absorption is kind of the point, but it is a point stretched across 10 half-hours — more of a smear than a point.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2023
As the weeks crept on, Harry could not help but notice, even through his new self-absorption, that Ron seemed to be taking charge.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
