self-interest

[ self-in-trist, -in-ter-ist, self- ]

/ ˌsɛlfˈɪn trɪst, -ˈɪn tər ɪst, ˈsɛlf- /

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See synonyms for: self-interest / self-interests on Thesaurus.com

noun

regard for one's own interest or advantage, especially with disregard for others: He appears to be motivated solely by self-interest, greed, and an insatiable hunger for self-aggrandizement.

personal interest or advantage: It is particularly hard to understand why a group would vote against its own self-interest.

Economics. the doctrine that acting to one’s own benefit or advantage can also result in a benefit for society at large: Adam Smith believed that individuals pursuing rational self-interest would create wealth through efficient production and competition.

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Origin of self-interest

First recorded in 1640–50

OTHER WORDS FROM self-interest

self-in·ter·est·ed, adjectiveself-in·ter·est·ed·ness, noun

Words nearby self-interest

self-initiated, self-instructional, self-insurance, self-insure, self-insurer, self-interest, selfish, selfishness, self-judgment, self-justification, self-justifying

How to use self-interest in a sentence

We see detoxing as a path to transcendence, a symbol of modern urban virtue and self-transformation through abstinence.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Stephanie Giorgio, a classical musician, credits The Class for helping her cope with anxiety, focus, fear, and self-doubt.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For someone with anorexia, self-starvation makes them feel better.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But in the case of black women, another study found no lack of interest.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

But if you have a hearing and you prove that someone is mature enough, well then that state interest evaporates.
Should Teens Have The Right To Die?|Brandy Zadrozny|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the parish churches, many of which are of great interest, the predominant styles are Decorated and Perpendicular.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 4|Various
And with some expressions of mutual good-will and interest, master and man separated.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
A desultory conversation on politics, in which neither took the slightest interest, was a safe neutral ground.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Let the thought of self pass in, and the beauty of great action is gone, like the bloom from a soiled flower.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
His also was the intellectual point of view, and the intellectual interest in knowledge and its deductions.
The Mediaeval Mind (Volume II of II)|Henry Osborn Taylor

British Dictionary definitions for self-interest

self-interest

noun

one's personal interest or advantage

the act or an instance of pursuing one's own interest

Derived forms of self-interest

self-interested, adjectiveself-interestedness, noun

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

self-interest

COMPARE MEANINGS

Origin of self-interest

OTHER WORDS FROM self-interest

Words nearby self-interest

Words related to self-interest

How to use self-interest in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for self-interest

Derived forms of self-interest