self-seeking

[ self-see-king ]
See synonyms for self-seeking on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the seeking of one's own interest or selfish ends.

adjective
  1. given to or characterized by self-seeking; selfish.

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Origin of self-seeking

1
First recorded in 1580–90

Other words from self-seeking

  • self-seek·ing·ness, noun

Words Nearby self-seeking

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

How to use self-seeking in a sentence

  • But his insistence that greed was good, that self-seeking was the American way, only fueled the national cynicism.

    The Catch in “Catch-22” | Morris Dickstein | September 4, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Doubtless there were some in this great conflict who were self-seeking, but this was certainly not the case with Henry Barrington.

    The Light That Lures | Percy Brebner
  • My horrible wealth has killed all affection around me and has enveloped me with shameless self-seeking.

    The Nabob | Alphonse Daudet
  • They reckoned him their ablest general, though his insubordination and self-seeking rendered the loss of him an actual gain.

  • Whatever may be my vanity, or self-seeking, or unmanliness if you will, is not what I say God's truth?

    An Old Man's Love | Anthony Trollope
  • Start the day with this thought, 'I will live this day without discontent, without self-seeking, and without anxiety.'

    A California Girl | Edward Eldridge

British Dictionary definitions for self-seeking

self-seeking

noun
  1. the act or an instance of seeking one's own profit or interest, esp exclusively

adjective
  1. having or showing an exclusive preoccupation with one's own profit or interest: a self-seeking attitude

Derived forms of self-seeking

  • self-seeker, 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