selfishness

noun

self·​ish·​ness ˈsel-fish-nəs How to pronounce selfishness (audio)
: the quality or state of being selfish : a concern for one's own welfare or advantage at the expense of or in disregard of others : excessive interest in oneself
We were appalled by the selfishness of their behavior.
Thus most of us are hardwired to conform to a "core morality" that includes protecting our children, dealing more or less fairly with other people, and placing limits on our selfishness.Christopher R. Beha

Examples of selfishness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Mother-daughter narratives have as profuse a tradition, but with a key difference: In those stories, no matter how complex the interplay of competition and control and selfishness and sacrifice and ego, there’s the base line belief that a relationship is supposed to exist into adulthood. Mark Harris Keita Morimoto, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Most Popular There is some degree of selfishness required in exiting dynamics that feel negative or one-sided or even just tedious. Carola Lovering, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2024 Religious faith is not only useful as a check on selfishness and a pillar of civilizational self-confidence; America’s faith in God is a conduit of blessing upon the nation and its enterprises. The Editors, National Review, 16 Oct. 2023 Jacobs inhabits her character so well that Imelda's vanity and selfishness (flying across the world from one high-end party to another while her people starve) becomes abundantly clear. Christian Holub, EW.com, 21 July 2023 That said, Luna's disagreement with perfectionist Venus may induce loneliness, carelessness, or even selfishness. Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2024 But Ira Sachs equates queerness with generational selfishness. Armond White, National Review, 5 Jan. 2024 Writing a memoir is an act of both selfishness and selflessness. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2023 That means the overall balance tipped toward selfishness when participants had the option to avoid information. Linh Vu, Scientific American, 11 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'selfishness.' 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

1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of selfishness was in 1628

Dictionary Entries Near selfishness

Cite this Entry

“Selfishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selfishness. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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