selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

1

: concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others

2

: arising from concern with one's own welfare or advantage in disregard of others

a selfish act

3

: being an actively replicating repetitive sequence of nucleic acid that serves no known function

selfish DNA

also : being genetic material solely concerned with its own replication

selfish genes

Synonyms

• egotistical
• egoistical
• egocentric
• narcissistic
• self-centered
• self-absorbed
• egoistic
• self-interested
• egotistic
• egomaniacal
• solipsistic
• self-involved
• self-concerned
• self-serving
• self-obsessed
• self-oriented
• self-regarding
• self-preoccupied
• self-seeking

Examples of selfish in a Sentence

She's interested only in her own selfish concerns.

I wish he'd spend less time with his friends and more time with me. Am I being selfish?

Recent Examples on the Web

The referee agreed with Warner’s claimed mitigation factors of remorse, an absence of dishonest or selfish motive, cooperating with the proceedings and dealing with personal or emotional problems. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025

Dark warnings from the United States about the risks of dependence on China will ring hollow to countries that are all too aware of how willing the United States is to weaponize interdependence for its own selfish purposes. —Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025

These selfish, harmful, and callous actions undermine public safety and will not be tolerated. —Jesus Mesa gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025

Given the short life span of NFL players, Kmet wouldn’t be the first who looked at such circumstances from a selfish perspective. —Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for selfish

• unselfish

Kids Definition

selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

: taking care of oneself without thought for others

selfishly adverb

selfishness noun

Medical Definition

selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

: being an actively replicating repetitive sequence of nucleic acid that serves no known function

selfish DNA

also : being genetic material solely concerned with its own replication

selfish genes