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

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

Synonyms

• egocentricity
• egocentrism
• egoism
• egomania
• egotism
• navel-gazing
• self-absorption
• self-centeredness
• self-concern
• self-interest
• self-involvement
• self-preoccupation
• self-regard
• selfishness
• selfness

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

Her call-outs can be viewed as petty, reflecting entitlement or even narcissism. —Ann Powers, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024

The researchers noted the triad includes three malevolent personality traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy.2 People with all three traits often disregard others and lack compassion and empathy. —Stephanie Booth, Health, 30 Mar. 2024

Sister Aloysius charges that the young woman is far too invested—to the point of a subtle narcissism—in how much her students like her. —Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024

Taxi Driver overflows with grimy, nightmarish urban detail, and offers an understanding of some of the worst people in the world — radicalized by a strange combination of narcissism and powerlessness — but never quite empathizes with them. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024

Indeed, people are often hired or promoted to leadership roles because of their social capital (a euphemism for nepotism), Machiavellian tactics of manipulation, narcissism, and confidence rather than competence. —Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

Bening walks a fine line between narcissism and determination as marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, with Foster playing her steadfast coach Bonnie Stoll, in this rousing true-life drama. —USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024

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

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

Kids Definition

narcissism

noun

nar·​cis·​sism ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm 

: excessive love and admiration for oneself and especially one's own appearance

narcissist

-sist 

noun

narcissistic

ˌnär-sə-ˈsis-tik 

adjective

Medical Definition

narcissism

noun

nar·​cis·​sism ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm 

1

: narcissistic personality disorder

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