self-centered

[ self-sen-terd ]

adjective

1. concerned solely or chiefly with one's own interests, welfare, etc.; engrossed in self; selfish; egotistical.
2. independent, self-sufficient.
3. centered in oneself or itself.
4. Archaic. fixed; unchanging.

Other Words From

• selfcentered·ly adverb
• selfcentered·ness noun
• unself-centered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-centered¹

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

Sexist petulance is so childish and self-centered that it's easy to laugh at, but as Carroll's experience shows, that level of male entitlement can get dangerous quickly.

From Salon

Every time Trump talks, it confirms the Biden campaign's narrative that the former president is a self-centered jerk who will sell out the country for his own interests.

From Salon

“He has encouraged and continues to encourage political violence. … His deranged, self-centered, obsessive quest for power is the reason violent insurrectionists assaulted me and my brave colleagues.”

From Seattle Times

When most people picture a narcissist, we think of self-centered, awful people who lack empathy.

From Salon

People become disenchanted and in the fray, “The idea of freedom becomes more self-centered, more greedy. It degenerates into anarchy and winds up in a dictatorship. ... I’m afraid we are sleepwalking towards dictatorship.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• egocentric
• egotistical
• self-absorbed
• self-indulgent
• selfish