egocentric

1 of 2

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

egocentric

2 of 2

noun

plural egocentrics

: a person who is egocentric : someone who is limited in outlook or concern to his or her own activities or needs : a self-centered person

Almost all the shows feature egocentrics who are self-aware enough to realize that they are egocentric, and who have the redeeming feature of generally being very good at what they do.

—Susan Dominus

As for the man, the book depicts him as a monster of selfishness, a disloyal exploiter of friends, an egocentric who feeds on perversity …

—Hubert Saal

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

Adjective

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

Noun

• ego-tripper
• egoist
• egomaniac
• egotist
• narcissist

Examples of egocentric in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

English, like the vast majority of languages, is spatially egocentric. —Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 25 July 2023

Detectives began learning more about Rueda Landeros, an egocentric charmer 12 years younger than Marcum who held dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico, according to authorities. —Dan Morse, Washington Post, 26 July 2023

Oriented Everywhere These speakers accomplish this orientation by means of a deep spatial sense that, for anyone raised with an egocentric language, borders on superhuman. —Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 25 July 2023

Larry Hagman’s egocentric oil baron J.R. Ewing gunned down. —Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2023

It’s not fatheaded, not fulfilled, not egocentric, but it is properly aimed, properly motivated, properly functioning. —Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Jan. 2021

Thirty years ago most psychologists, philosophers and psychiatrists thought that babies and young children were irrational, egocentric and amoral. —Alison Gopnik, Scientific American, 1 May 2016

Some of those regions overlapped with the egocentric areas; others extended farther back in the brain. —Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2014

In the show, Rob plays Ellis Dragon, an egocentric biotech entrepreneur on the verge of a mental breakdown, and his son, Jackson (John Owen Lowe), steps in to save the company and mend his relationship with his father. —Katie Bowlby, Country Living, 11 Mar. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Adjective

ego + -centric

First Known Use

Adjective

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

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