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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-interest
Our self-interest has usually been of the sensible sort.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Beyond that, he’s motivated by pure self-interest.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
Yet a major part of these Indigenous values is the diminished role of the self and self-interest.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2026
What’s more, in Florida, people too often maddeningly vote against their self-interest.
—Steve Bousquet, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-interest
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Beyond that, he’s motivated by pure self-interest.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
Yet a major part of these Indigenous values is the diminished role of the self and self-interest.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2026
What’s more, in Florida, people too often maddeningly vote against their self-interest.
—Steve Bousquet, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-interest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-interest
Noun
-
Claire’s elective death therefore remains a problematic choice for some viewers, an act of vainglorious selfishness from a woman who was never terribly nice to begin with.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
-
The adjectives used to describe vampire Lucy suggest monstrous selfishness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 May 2026
Noun
-
All to justify his vanity project.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
The director describes him less as a young actor searching for a performance than as someone instinctively in tune with the character’s vanity, insecurity and swagger.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
By catering to his ego, international leaders can persuade Washington to forget—or at least to ignore—past tensions.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
3 June 2026
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Out of this evolutionary necessity, new ways of leading are emerging based on the consciousness of a connected self, that both embraces the ego and puts it in service of a bigger picture, a higher calling.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
There was too much egoism politically for each country to be all together with a unique economy, language and president.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
McGuane also reminded me that Hemingway was, to put it politely, a complicated personality, a domineering figure prone to brawling, affairs, and cask-strength egoism.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-interest. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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