egocentric

play

adjective ego·cen·tric \ˌē-gō-ˈsen-trik also ˌe-\

Definition of egocentric

1 : concerned with the individual rather than society
2 : taking the ego as the starting point in philosophy
3a : limited in outlook or concern to one's own activities or needsb : self-centered, selfish

egocentric

noun

egocentrically

play \ˌē-gō-tri-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

egocentricity

play \ˌē-gō-ˌsen-ˈtri-sə-tē\ noun

egocentrism

play \ˌē-gō-ˈsen-ˌtri-zəm\ noun

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Examples of egocentric in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of egocentric from the Web

These qualities represent our successes and failures at escaping our own egocentric bubbles, and understanding the lives of others—even when those others wear our own older faces.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "Self-Control Is Just Empathy With Your Future Self", 6 Dec. 2016
Why let Steph Curry get injured in a meaningless match against an egocentric Houston Rockets team?

— michael powell, New York Times, "N.B.A. Should Cut to the Chase With a Best-of-3 First Round", 25 Apr. 2016
Think off-camera and outside the egocentric perspective framed by the ad.

— evan selinger, WIRED, "Facebook Home Propaganda Makes Selfishness Contagious", 22 Apr. 2013
Mutual Appreciation is about an egocentric musician (portrayed by Justin Rice of the band Bishop Allen) who thoughtlessly complicates the lives of all those around him.

— chuck klosterman, Esquire, "What's (Not) Happening!", 11 May 2007

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'egocentric'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.

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