self-centered

American  

[self-sen-terd] / ˈsɛlfˈsɛn tərd /

especially British, self-centred

adjective

1. concerned solely or chiefly with one's own interests, welfare, etc.; engrossed in self; selfish; egotistical.

2. independent, self-sufficient.

3. centered in oneself or itself.

4. Archaic. fixed; unchanging.

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Other Word Forms

• selfcenteredness
  noun
• unself-centered
  adjective
• selfcenteredly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of self-centered

First recorded in 1670–80

Explanation

A self-centered person is excessively concerned with himself and his own needs. He's selfish. You probably know some people who always talk about themselves, make every issue about themselves, and are generally all about "Me, me, me!" People like that are self-centered: as the word suggests, they are overly centered on themselves. Self-centered people tend to ignore the needs of others and only do what's best for them. You can also call them egocentric, egoistic, and egoistical. In the seventeenth century, however, self-centered meant "fixed or stationary."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-centered

All of his successes have attracted critics worried he has become too powerful, too reckless, too self-centered.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

Yes, Dawson was whiny and moody and extremely self-centered, but so are a lot of teenagers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026

Of course, you probably don’t mean all boomers are self-centered.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 29, 2025

But plenty of us have self-centered people in our lives whom we do not want to cut off or gray rock—and for that, we might need to get off Reddit and talk to a therapist.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2024

Tinker Bell was among those who didn’t come, which did not particularly trouble Meggie, for she had realized that Peter Pan’s fairy was very self-centered.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

Related Words

• egocentric
• egotistical
• self-absorbed
• self-indulgent
• selfish