egocentric

adjective

ego·​cen·​tric ˌē-gō-ˈsen-trik 

also ˌe-

1

: concerned with the individual rather than society

2

: taking the ego as the starting point in philosophy

3

a

: limited in outlook or concern to one's own activities or needs

b

: self-centered, selfish

egocentrically

ˌē-gō-ˈsen-tri-k(ə-)lē 

also ˌe-

adverb

egocentricity

ˌē-gō-ˌsen-ˈtri-sə-tē 

also ˌe-

noun

Did you know?

Ego means "I" in Latin. To an egocentric person, I is the most important word in the language. Great artists and writers are often egocentrics; such people can be hard to live with, though their egocentricity, an unfortunate side effect of their talent, is often forgiven. But ordinary egocentricity, which shows up as selfishness, lack of sympathy, and lack of interest in other people, usually has little to do with any personal talent or success.

Synonyms of egocentric

• selfish

Examples of egocentric in a Sentence

the cult attracts egocentric people who are preoccupied with reaching their potential as individuals

Recent Examples on the Web

This evolution moves away from egocentric, top-down control toward an ecosystemic consciousness that centers on shared responsibility, psychological safety and societal fairness. —Lourdes Mestre, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

The Miniature Wife Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen star in this dramedy about an egocentric scientist on the verge of a breakthrough who accidentally shrinks his wife, a Pulitzer-winning author who hasn’t written a lick in more than a decade. —Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026

A lot of tennis players are so egocentric. —Patrick McEnroe, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026

As of this week, thanks to the egocentric exertions of the current President and his obedient underlings and friends, the place has been renamed the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. —David Remnick, New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

ego + -centric

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for egocentric

• afrocentric
• ethnocentric
• eurocentric
• geocentric
• metacentric
• multicentric
• polycentric
• anthropocentric
• heliocentric
• centric
• concentric
• eccentric

Kids Definition

egocentric

adjective

ego·​cen·​tric ˌē-gō-ˈsen-trik 

: overly concerned with oneself : self-centered

Medical Definition

egocentric

1 of 2 adjective

ego·​cen·​tric ˌē-gō-ˈsen-trik also ˌeg-ō- 

1

: limited in outlook or concern to one's own activities or needs

2

: being self-centered or selfish

egocentrically

-tri-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

egocentric

2 of 2 noun

: an egocentric individual