as in selfishness
excessive interest in oneself
her degree of self-interest is perhaps best reflected in her favorite topic of conversation—herself
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Recent Examples of self-interest
His unlawful actions have subverted the justice system, violated the separation of powers, and placed personal power and self-interest above public service.
—
Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Ironically, too, for the first offseason in well over a decade, the organization’s actual self-interest and penchant for reckless, all-in swings in pursuit of immediate gratification are actually aligned.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Smith had promoted laissez-faire economics which contended a wide range of things, including the individual pursuit of self-interest, minimum government intervention in the economy, the value of competition, the belief in self-regulating free markets, and free trade.
— Made By History, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
Expecting people with personal benefits at stake to sublimate that self-interest is unreasonable.
—Nate Bennett, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-interest
Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Ironically, too, for the first offseason in well over a decade, the organization’s actual self-interest and penchant for reckless, all-in swings in pursuit of immediate gratification are actually aligned.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Smith had promoted laissez-faire economics which contended a wide range of things, including the individual pursuit of self-interest, minimum government intervention in the economy, the value of competition, the belief in self-regulating free markets, and free trade.
— Made By History, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
Expecting people with personal benefits at stake to sublimate that self-interest is unreasonable.
—Nate Bennett, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-interest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-interest
Noun
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Other passengers on the train include blue-collar worker Sang-hwa (Ma Dong-seok) and his pregnant wife Seong-kyeong (Jung Yu-mi), a high-school baseball team, and the conniving businessman, Yon-suk (Kim Eui-sung) whose selfishness leads to all sorts of terrible twists down the line.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
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Sometimes, like Jimmy, parents fail, and choose our own selfishness over our children.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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As its name implies, the Emotional Support lip balm ($24), is anything but a vanity project.—
Dahvi Shira,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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According to nutritionist Payal Kothari, author of The Gut, the rise of the high-protein diet has been driven by a mix of vanity and virality.—
Sara Hussain,
Vogue,
12 May 2025
Noun
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My coat and my ego were a bit tarnished as my husband rushed to help me up.—
James Barron,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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Also, any shred of ego one has left after a lifetime of motherhood and being a caregiver/support person will get completely zeroed out while milling around a bunch of athletes.—
Denise Snodell,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2025
Noun
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Trump’s slogans—America First and Make America Great Again—embody the essence of populism, namely using ideology to advance a political program that is morally unconstrained and driven by collective egoism.—
BÁLINT MADLOVICS,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Feb. 2025
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Psychological egoism is at play here, too, with Jimmy’s extreme emotional investment in getting Grace help.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
23 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Self-interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-interest. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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