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
plural egocentrics
: a person who is egocentric : someone for whom personal or individual needs and activities are paramount : 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
Susan DominusAs 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
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.
Examples of egocentric in a Sentence
Adjective
the cult attracts egocentric people who are preoccupied with reaching their potential as individuals
Noun
he's such an egocentric that he painstakingly records every detail of his unremarkable life
Recent Examples on the Web
Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 9 Oct. 2025
The community organizer turned president turned socialite has never been great at hiding his egocentric ways.
—Grace Curley, Boston Herald, 21 July 2025
Bang is perfect for this kind of role, playing an imposing figure who can be both aloof and egocentric, and whose grand stature diminishes as the film progresses.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2025
Impulsive, egocentric, and mendacious, Trump has, in the same span, set fire to the integrity of his office.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for egocentric
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
As a chef’s kiss, Manning plays for Texas, a yearslong egocentric underachiever that plenty of college football fans love to hate.
—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 9 Oct. 2025
The community organizer turned president turned socialite has never been great at hiding his egocentric ways.
—Grace Curley, Boston Herald, 21 July 2025
Bang is perfect for this kind of role, playing an imposing figure who can be both aloof and egocentric, and whose grand stature diminishes as the film progresses.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2025
Impulsive, egocentric, and mendacious, Trump has, in the same span, set fire to the integrity of his office.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for egocentric
Cite this Entry
“Egocentric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egocentric. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
egocentric
2 of 2 noun
: an egocentric individual
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share