Definition of self-interestnext

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 Not Texas Tech, which is wrapping competitive self-interest in the language of compassion. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2026 Taxpayers will no longer bankroll an organization that puts its own self-interests ahead of the Americans it was created to serve. Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 12 June 2026 Here, animals serve as vessels for our worst impulses, suffering at the point where curiosity turns to sadism, domination to cruelty, and self-interest to neglect. Literary Hub, 9 June 2026 Accounting for self-interest A second theme is the recognition of how human motivations interact with institutions. Jordan Cash, The Conversation, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-interest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-interest
Noun
  • After Portugal’s 1-1 tie against DR Congo, Henry explained the selfishness of Cristiano Ronaldo’s movement, not opening space for a teammate.
    Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 18 June 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Let go of the vanity metrics, and put your time where the value is.
    Heather Kelly, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • Elsewhere, Prada made a case for vanity pouches swinging from belts; keychains were back at Tod’s; and at Giorgio Armani, models sported the letters G and A pinned to their blazers in homage to the late designer, who died last September.
    Scarlett Conlon, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026
  • Politics, Lander said, didn’t have to be a selfish endeavor driven by ego.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • This is different from egoism and self-centeredness.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Self-interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-interest. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.

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