solipsistic

American  

[sol-ip-sis-tik] / ˌsɒl ɪpˈsɪs tɪk /

adjective

1. of or characterized by solipsism, or the theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist.

   Her treatment philosophy dealt with madness as a complete, self-contained, solipsistic world that sane people are not able to enter.

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Etymology

Origin of solipsistic

solips(ism) + -istic

Explanation

Someone who's solipsistic is so focused on their own wants and needs that they don't think about other people at all. You could also call a solipsistic person selfish or self-centered. Solipsistic has a different meaning if you hear it in a philosophy class. In this case, it describes the theory that the only thing you can know for sure is that your own mind exists. When your brother accuses you of being solipsistic, he probably means you're only thinking of yourself. If he tells you he broke his leg and you say, "Does that mean we can't go to Disneyland next week?" then he's right to call you solipsistic!

Example Sentences

Straub suggests that we may all be in our own solipsistic alternate universes, incomprehensible to one another.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

He is creating a solipsistic world shaped entirely by his will.

From Salon • Aug. 12, 2025

You’re the star of your own solipsistic, hallucinatory epic, even if what you imagine for yourself might be a straightforward affair with a clear-cut message about the meaning of life.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 25, 2025

“Most explanations for why women aren’t having children focus on individual choices made by individual women,” Heffington writes, but this solipsistic emphasis is misguided.

From Washington Post • Apr. 27, 2023

Maybe it was stupid and solipsistic, but I liked to think about me.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini