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.

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

But we are not required to shrink into selfishness and judgment when faced with need.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2025

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

I’m asking you to be distracted from that so I can consolidate my power without you complaining—so that you think I’m doing it in service to you when, actually, I’m doing it in selfishness.

From Slate • Jul. 28, 2025

The harder part was seeing the selfishness inherent in making that choice, knowing that it had required hours of advance meetings between security teams and local police.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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