egocentrism

noun

ego·​cen·​trism ˌē-gō-ˈsen-ˌtri-zəm How to pronounce egocentrism (audio)
 also  ˌe-
: the quality or state of being egocentric : excessive interest in oneself and concern for one's own welfare or advantage at the expense of or in disregard of others
Human dignity has once again been forced to the margins as corporate greed and egocentrism are given homage.Reverend Matthew Pearson
This is the height of immaturity, another example of my generation's egocentrismSusan Stewart

Examples of egocentrism in a Sentence

her exquisite egocentrism informs her conception of reality: she thinks the world revolves around her
Recent Examples on the Web Other simulations have relied on personality trait theory, which holds that people have varying levels of psychoticism (aggression and egocentrism), extraversion (associated with more daring behaviors) and neuroticism (linked to anxiety and shyness). Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2022 The common traits here are a lack of empathy and egocentrism. Ana Reed, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023 There's a certain human egocentrism that undervalues how big the system is. Francis Wilkinson, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2011 But as the Allied drive slowed through late 1944, the egocentric Californian raged at Montgomery’s own egocentrism and Eisenhower’s willingness to indulge the British. Jonathan W. Jordan, WSJ, 18 Nov. 2022 Rather than counteract that cavalier egocentrism by developing Gede and Lily in any detail, the movie replicates and reinforces it. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2022 Call yourself by name to untangle from your Critic’s egocentrism. Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 3 July 2022 Studies 4 and 5 further suggest that this overconfidence is born of egocentrism, the inherent difficulty of detaching oneself from one's own perspective when evaluating the perspective of someone else. Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2014

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'egocentrism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of egocentrism was in 1900

Dictionary Entries Near egocentrism

Cite this Entry

“Egocentrism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egocentrism. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

egocentrism

noun
ego·​cen·​trism -ˈsen-ˌtriz-əm How to pronounce egocentrism (audio)
1
2
: the effort to get personal recognition especially by socially unacceptable behavior
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