egocentric

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

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of egocentric

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

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egocentrically

play \ˌē-gō-ˈsen-tri-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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egocentricity

play \ˌē-gō-ˌsen-ˈtri-sə-tē\ noun

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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

Whatever happened to the egocentric man that was supposed to upset the balance of the Gunners dressing room?

— SI.com, "6 of the Best Moments From a Potentially Decisive Weekend of Premier League Action," 2 Apr. 2018
Firstly there was Alan Pardew, ever the egocentric.

— SI.com, "Old Dog, Same Old Tricks: Roy Hodgson's Much Travelled Management Style Is Saving Palace's Season," 18 Dec. 2017
Most are understandably very egocentric right now and to have her take time out of her life to bake for strangers, that’s pretty special.

— david sharos, ajc, "Teen’s baking touches lives of those fighting cancer," 17 Dec. 2017
But why have these three, very different but equally egocentric people been brought together?

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: Jefferson, Dickens and Tolstoy Debate Jesus. ‘Discord’ Ensues.," 1 Oct. 2017
Wide receivers are about as egocentric as players come in the NFL.

— jeff mclane, Philly.com, "Eagles receivers don't mind sharing the wealth," 26 Oct. 2017
Millions of Americans are paying a price for his egocentric behavior, for his narcissistic behavior.

— david nakamura, Washington Post, "Trump turns to executive powers in bid to force Congress into action," 14 Oct. 2017
For instance, Jeff’s mother, Patty, in an astounding turn by Miranda Richardson, is a slovenly, resentful, egocentric drunk who frequently prioritizes her hangovers over Jeff’s physical rehabilitation appointments.

— glenn kenny, New York Times, "Review: Jake Gyllenhaal in ‘Stronger’ Loses His Legs in the Boston Bombing," 21 Sep. 2017
Soon after, Monica’s fans accused Brandy of being too egocentric and flooded the singer’s Instagram with mean-spirited comments.

— Vogue, "James Corden and John Boyega Take On the Very Real 2017 Brandy vs. Monica Beef With “The Boy Is Mine” Parody," 10 Aug. 2017

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.

First Known Use of egocentric

1894

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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egocentric Synonyms

egocentric

noun

Definition of egocentric

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