narcissism
noun
nar·cis·sism
ˈnär-sə-ˌsi-zəm 
1
: egoism, egocentrism
… up until my late 30's I lived in a state of utterly monstrous narcissism and self-absorption …—
Frank Conroy
Frank Conroy2
: 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
Robert Karen3
: love of or sexual desire of one's own body
Synonyms
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
Arvind knows plenty about that, engaging with his own narcissism incessantly.
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024
Signs of narcissism can instead range from having a large ego to experiencing a sense of self that's pathologically grand.
—Catherine Dibenedetto, Health, 19 Mar. 2024
This year’s presidential campaign, however, is more likely to hinge on the narcissism of small differences.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024
Like Freiman’s Anna, Gaitskill’s Dorothy is a case study in vulnerable narcissism and, ultimately, a figure of pity.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2023
The streak of narcissism in Dr. Stockmann limits the reach of his brilliance.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Conversely, men score higher than women on dark side personality traits, such narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and aggression (especially unprovoked), which account for much of the toxic and destructive behaviors displayed by powerful leaders - usually male - who derail.
—Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
In another study published last year, Evita March, senior lecturer in psychology at Federation University in Australia, found that people with the strong personality traits of sadism, psychopathy, and narcissism were more likely to catfish.
—Sen Nguyen, CNN, 29 Jan. 2024
But, in June, 2016, when Trump’s narcissism and authoritarian tendencies were already extremely apparent, Ryan endorsed him.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023
David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024
Signs of narcissism can instead range from having a large ego to experiencing a sense of self that's pathologically grand.
—Catherine Dibenedetto, Health, 19 Mar. 2024
This year’s presidential campaign, however, is more likely to hinge on the narcissism of small differences.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024
Like Freiman’s Anna, Gaitskill’s Dorothy is a case study in vulnerable narcissism and, ultimately, a figure of pity.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2023
The streak of narcissism in Dr. Stockmann limits the reach of his brilliance.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Conversely, men score higher than women on dark side personality traits, such narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and aggression (especially unprovoked), which account for much of the toxic and destructive behaviors displayed by powerful leaders - usually male - who derail.
—Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
In another study published last year, Evita March, senior lecturer in psychology at Federation University in Australia, found that people with the strong personality traits of sadism, psychopathy, and narcissism were more likely to catfish.
—Sen Nguyen, CNN, 29 Jan. 2024
But, in June, 2016, when Trump’s narcissism and authoritarian tendencies were already extremely apparent, Ryan endorsed him.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'narcissism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near narcissism
Cite this Entry
“Narcissism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcissism. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
narcissism
noun
nar·cis·sism
ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm
: excessive love and admiration for oneself and especially one's own appearance
Medical Definition
narcissism
noun
nar·cis·sism
ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm
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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