narcissism

noun

nar·​cis·​sism ˈnär-sə-ˌsi-zəm How to pronounce narcissism (audio)
1
: egoism, egocentrism
… up until my late 30's I lived in a state of utterly monstrous narcissism and self-absorption …Frank Conroy
2
: narcissistic personality disorder
One of the premier diagnoses of our times, narcissism is a reflection not only of an apparent trend in mental illness but also of the strains and distortions in the lives of essentially healthy people.Robert Karen
3
: love of or sexual desire of one's own body

Examples of narcissism in a Sentence

in his narcissism, he just assumed that everyone else wanted to hear the tiny details of his day
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In parenting and co-parenting relationships, narcissism may look like emotional invalidation or using guilt and manipulation to control behavior, McGovern adds. ​wendy Wisner, Parents, 15 May 2025 These findings suggest that while some dark triad cues may subtly show in facial appearance—particularly narcissism—the connection isn't consistent across traits or genders. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025 Our research focuses on children with above-average narcissism levels because narcissistic personality disorder is usually not formally diagnosed before adulthood. Eddie Brummelman, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2025 The level of cartoonish selfishness and narcissism these late-capitalistic nightmares are granted here, however, starts to tip into a level that pitches everything into omnishambles territory. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for narcissism

Word History

Etymology

narcissus + -ism; (sense 2) in part after German Narcismus (now Narzismus)

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of narcissism was in 1822

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Narcissism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcissism. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

narcissism

noun
nar·​cis·​sism ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm How to pronounce narcissism (audio)
: excessive love and admiration for oneself and especially one's own appearance
narcissist noun
narcissistic adjective

Medical Definition

narcissism

noun
nar·​cis·​sism ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm How to pronounce narcissism (audio)
1
2
: love of or sexual desire for one's own body
3
: the state or stage of development in psychoanalytic theory in which there is considerable erotic interest in one's own body and ego and which in abnormal forms persists through fixation or reappears through regression

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