self-gratification

[ self-grat-uh-fi-key-shuhn, self- ]

noun

the act of pleasing or satisfying oneself, especially the gratifying of one's own impulses, needs, or desires.

Origin of self-gratification

First recorded in 1670–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

The only symptoms of his condition were his doubts about God and an obsession with ‘self-gratification.’
The Devil and Antonin Scalia | Candida Moss | October 8, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
She knew her power and has used it for her self gratification regardless of what might become of him.
A California Girl | Edward Eldridge
He welcomed the undying joy of self-sacrifice, and repudiated the momentary pleasures of self-gratification.
The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews | Thomas Charles Edwards
What a different notion these two men had of love from that which merely seeks self-gratification!
Life of John Coleridge Patteson | Charlotte M. Yonge
They are made to minister to a sort of self-gratification, instead of being turned to account for the good of others.
The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume II (of 2), 1869-1873 | David Livingstone

Or if he devotes himself properly to his vocation he may consume his earnings in current self-gratification.
Creating Capital | Frederick L. Lipman

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