1
: concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others
2
: arising from concern with one's own welfare or advantage in disregard of others
a selfish act
3
: being an actively replicating repetitive sequence of nucleic acid that serves no known function
selfish DNA
also
: being genetic material solely concerned with its own replication
selfish genes
Examples of selfish in a Sentence
She's interested only in her own selfish concerns.
I wish he'd spend less time with his friends and more time with me. Am I being selfish?
Recent Examples on the Web
In this story, the father’s behavior is exemplary and mothers (more than one) are selfish with bad habits who don’t act to their children’s benefit.
—
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 14 July 2025
The removal of living beings from their natural environment, along with the massive scale of human intervention, can be just as pernicious as the instinctive and selfish destruction that is often overlooked.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 10 July 2025
Cowards need a crowd to cheer them on to validate their selfish actions.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2025
His parents also back him up, calling me selfish for not moving to be with them.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfish
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Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 14 July 2025
The removal of living beings from their natural environment, along with the massive scale of human intervention, can be just as pernicious as the instinctive and selfish destruction that is often overlooked.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 10 July 2025
Cowards need a crowd to cheer them on to validate their selfish actions.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2025
His parents also back him up, calling me selfish for not moving to be with them.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for selfish
Cite this Entry
“Selfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selfish. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
selfish
adjective
self·ish
ˈsel-fish 
: taking care of oneself without thought for others
selfishly
adverb
selfishness
noun
Medical Definition
selfish
adjective
self·ish
ˈsel-fish
: being an actively replicating repetitive sequence of nucleic acid that serves no known function
selfish DNA
also
: being genetic material solely concerned with its own replication
selfish genes
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