selfishness

American

[sel-fish-nis] / ˈsɛl fɪʃ nɪs /

noun

the quality or state of caring only for oneself or one’s own interests.

The author rants at length about the selfishness and general disregard for others that he sees at the root of modern society.

Etymology

Origin of selfishness

selfish ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does selfishness compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

self-interest vs. selfishness

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.

"This is a spiritual battle. Between selfishness and service. Between greed and greatness," he said.

From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026

She argued that "one person's phone going off shatters that for everybody" and so disrupting the experience is "an act of extreme selfishness".

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Ben manages to turn this mild inquiry into a long disquisition on her selfishness and disdain for his work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

Abraham Lincoln, in a reply to Sen. Stephen Douglas dated October 16, 1854, said that slavery was founded in the selfishness of man’s nature and opposition to it was founded in his love of justice.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2025

He was aware, in spite of his youthfulness and selfishness, that this was somehow connected with the never-mentioned thing that was about to happen.

From "1984" by George Orwell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023