selfishness

American  

[sel-fish-nis] / ˈsɛl fɪʃ nɪs /

noun

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of selfishness

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

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Compare meaning

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

• self-interest vs. selfishness

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

selfishness

Not a lot of selfishness in those words; not a lot of bellicosity or bluster.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

It helps you draw boundaries without being held hostage to accusations of selfishness.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Until that inevitable conclusion, I’ll be rooting for Max Cady’s campaign against the Bowdens’ vortex of selfishness, which is entirely OK to do.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 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

It was all an exercise in selfishness, Jim thought.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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Related Words

• greed
• self-indulgence

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