egoistic
Americanadjective
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pertaining to or of the nature of egoism.
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being centered in or preoccupied with oneself and the gratification of one's own desires; self-centered (opposed to altruistic).
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of egoistic
Explanation
Egoistic people believe we all put our own needs before those of others. If you're sure that self-interest inspires every human action — yes, even rescuing that sweet kitten from a tree — then you, my friend, are egoistic. Don't confuse egoistic with egotistic, a word which is often, and wrongly, used interchangeably with it. To be egotistic is to have too inflated an opinion of yourself — in other words, it's a form of self-delusion rather than a particular way of looking at the world. You can be egoistic without being egotistic. Got it?
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said that taking his campaign to Oli's door was not "an egoistic decision", but was designed to create wider impact.
From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026
What we can do—what many of us try to do over the course of our lives—is find our own unique hill on which we occupy the top and take our egoistic satisfaction that way.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
She was regarded as aloof and egoistic, and could be contemptuous of actors she found lacking in commitment, bellicose in rehearsal rooms and unafraid of challenging eminent directors.
From New York Times • Jun. 15, 2023
We're of service to something greater than ourselves and our own selfish, egoistic needs.
From Salon • May 26, 2023
One can be egoistic and at the same time excessively narcistic, i.e., have very slight need of an object.
From A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Freud, Sigmund
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
