selfishness

American

[sel-fish-nis] / ˈsɛl fɪʃ nɪs /

noun

the quality or state of caring only for oneself or one’s own interests.

The author rants at length about the selfishness and general disregard for others that he sees at the root of modern society.

Etymology

Origin of selfishness

selfish ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does selfishness compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

self-interest vs. selfishness

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 wrote in his autobiography that they had split because she had "enough of the absentee husband, enough of the selfishness and the black moods".

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Ben manages to turn this mild inquiry into a long disquisition on her selfishness and disdain for his work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

In a town — and a time — of selfishness and self-serving, Reiner was one of the good guys, always fighting, both through his films and his politics, to make the world kinder and closer.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025

Winners are primed to yell over the music playing them off, but competing against a visual measure of one’s alleged selfishness had more of a chilling effect.

From Salon • Sep. 15, 2025

It was easy to think the worst of humanity when all I saw was brutality and selfishness, and these people showed me there was still good in the world, even if I rarely saw it.

From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023