self-aggrandizement

American  

[self-uh-gran-diz-muhnt, self-] / ˈsɛlf əˈgræn dɪz mənt, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. increase of one's own power, wealth, etc., usually aggressively.

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self-aggrandizement British  

noun

1. the act of increasing one's own power, importance, etc, esp in an aggressive or ruthless manner

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Other Word Forms

• self-aggrandizing adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-aggrandizement

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

The group reached a delusional peak of self-aggrandizement when former President Donald Trump essentially deputized them as his private militia, telling them to “stand back and stand by” during a 2020 presidential debate.

From Seattle Times

"To understand Nixon is to appreciate that his self-aggrandizement was key... to the way he told his life story to himself, an attempt to cast himself as the noble victim not only publicly but privately."

From Salon

His lies are so breathtaking they shocked even the jaded denizens of Washington, who have a high tolerance for exaggeration and self-aggrandizement.

From Washington Post

A self-styled champion of unions and working people, Sawant eventually drew the ire of unions and working people fed up with her self-aggrandizement.

From Seattle Times

But even by the standards of this era of self-aggrandizement and alternative facts, it is hard to find a case quite like that of George Santos, the newly elected Republican congressman from Long Island.

From New York Times

Related Words

• arrogance
• narcissism
• self-absorption
• selfishness