Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of self-interest During her latest podcast episode, Cunningham continued to speak out, calling out the league boss for acting out of self-interest. Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025 As drawn here, the characters are an entirely plausible, fallible mix of peevishness, self-interest and self-sacrifice, especially the parents who learn the most about themselves and each other when push finally comes to shove. Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025 The hope is that the new independent football regulator will shift the balance and implement rules unhampered by self-interest. Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025 This is a person who's looking out purely for their own self-interest, self-preservation. ABC News, 21 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-interest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-interest
Noun
  • But Friendship also let viewers see some of those Robinson character quirks as evidence of selfishness, male ego, and real mental instability.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
  • There is zero selfishness to his game, no holding back to prevent injury.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Will include a champagne bar, soft seating, makeup counters and Hollywood vanity mirrors.
    Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Stock up your vanity with these staples, or get a jump-start on holiday shopping while deals last.
    Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And the ego needed to overcome shyness and stage fright collides with the endless rejection that defines the profession.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
  • But Friendship also let viewers see some of those Robinson character quirks as evidence of selfishness, male ego, and real mental instability.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This is different from egoism and self-centeredness.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
  • In advance of the ceremony, the finalists were asked an essential question: Orwell claimed that prose writers have four ‘great motivations’ (putting aside the need to earn a living): sheer egoism; aesthetic enthusiasm; historical impulse; and political purpose.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Self-interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-interest. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on self-interest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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