ego

[ ee-goh, eg-oh ]

noun

, plural e·gos.

1. the “I” or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.
2. Psychoanalysis. the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment.
3. egotism; conceit; self-importance:

   Her ego becomes more unbearable each day.

4. self-esteem or self-image; feelings:

   Your criticism wounded his ego.

5. (often initial capital letter) Philosophy.
   1. the enduring and conscious element that knows experience.
   2. Scholasticism. the complete person comprising both body and soul.
6. Ethnology. a person who serves as the central reference point in the study of organizational and kinship relationships.

ego

/ ˈɛɡəʊ; ˈiːɡəʊ /

noun

1. the self of an individual person; the conscious subject
2. psychoanal the conscious mind, based on perception of the environment from birth onwards: responsible for modifying the antisocial instincts of the id and itself modified by the conscience (superego)
3. one's image of oneself; morale

   to boost one's ego

4. egotism; conceit

ego

1. The “I” or self of any person ( ego is Latin for “I”). In psychological terms, the ego is the part of the psyche that experiences the outside world and reacts to it, coming between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social environment, represented by the superego .

Notes

The term ego is often used to mean personal pride and self-absorption: “Losing at chess doesn't do much for my ego.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ego¹

First recorded in 1780–90; from Latin: “I”; psychoanalytic term is translation of German (das) Ich “(the) I”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ego¹

C19: from Latin: I

Example Sentences

I think that’s what I … I have very little tolerance for people whose egos are inflated and who have lost their sense of curiosity about other people.

From Ozy

A remote expanse of badlands and prairie that humbles the ego instantly.

From Outside Online

That is, stable in his penchant to destroy everything and everyone that doesn’t feed his ego.

From Washington Post

In service of his own ego, he is undermining the constitution and democracy, and may well hand a defeat to Senate Republicans in the process.

From Fortune

The first rule is not to destroy your career, your life, just because of the ego.

From Outside Online

“You know, I never had a monstrous ego,” Mailer confides to a friend in l987.

From The Daily Beast

All I had in those days was a monstrous lack of ego which therefore required huge injections of actorly ego and misled people.

From The Daily Beast

He even allegedly had a nickname for his violent, aggressive alter ego: Rick.

From The Daily Beast

In other words, Taylor Kitsch at his best plays against ego.

From The Daily Beast

Given his alter ego, it may not come as a surprise that Goyeneche is into antiquities, especially of the pre-Colombian variety.

From The Daily Beast

Increpaui ego, vt potui, per interpret paganicos hos mores in iam Christianis.

From Project Gutenberg

Ego r improbaui, veritus scilicet, ne vel Galli, vel eti Gtiles hoc interpretartur in fidei nostr iniuri.

From Project Gutenberg

From an active state of resistance the ego traversed a descending curve ending in absolute passivity.

From Project Gutenberg

The final test of one's ability to project the personal ego over all else in the material world.

From Project Gutenberg

Wilson Lamb's ego died a horrible death seventeen seconds before he did.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• character
• psyche