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.

Defending his government's policy, Sanchez said the "world does not need more selfishness or more fear. What it needs are countries that show solidarity and want to step forward."

From Barron's • May 12, 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

Winners are primed to yell over the music playing them off, but competing against a visual measure of one’s alleged selfishness had more of a chilling effect.

From Salon • Sep. 15, 2025

She’s forced out of her inherent selfishness by love.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025

Before we got too quiet, stewing in our selfishness, Vonetta said, “She wouldn’t want it anyway.”

From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia

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