Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

selfness

noun self·ness \ ˈself-nəs \
|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of selfness

1 : egoism, selfishness
2 : personality, selfhood

Examples of selfness in a Sentence

  1. there's a relentless selfness about her poetry that is wearisome to readers who do not find her endlessly fascinating

First Known Use of selfness

1574

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up selfness? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

voracity

play

the quality or state of being insatiable

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. asylum 'protection from arrest and extradition given especially to political refugees'

  2. insubordinate 'disobedient to authority'

  3. promulgate 'to make known by open declaration'

  4. epochal 'momentous or unparalleled'

  5. clemency 'merciful treatment of someone who could be given harsh punishment'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

selfness

Test Your Vocabulary

Name More Food!

  • red-fruit
  • Name that Fruit!
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games