selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

1

: concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others

2

: arising from concern with one's own welfare or advantage in disregard of others

a selfish act

3

: being an actively replicating repetitive sequence of nucleic acid that serves no known function

selfish DNA

also : being genetic material solely concerned with its own replication

selfish genes

Synonyms

• egocentric
• egoistic
• egoistical
• egomaniacal
• egotistic
• egotistical
• narcissistic
• self-absorbed
• self-centered
• self-concerned
• self-infatuated
• self-interested
• self-involved
• self-loving
• self-obsessed
• self-oriented
• self-preoccupied
• self-regarding
• self-seeking
• self-serving
• solipsistic

Examples of selfish in a Sentence

She's interested only in her own selfish concerns.

I wish he'd spend less time with his friends and more time with me. Am I being selfish?

Recent Examples on the Web

But that isn't the case here, as the Redditor said people are accusing them of being selfish for wanting to shut down the speech. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024

People who have selfish motivations often manipulate others and ignore boundaries. —Sandro Da Silva, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

So Nandor the Relentless — arguably the dumbest, shallowest, most selfish vampire in the house — finds the empathy within himself to reach out to Guillermo and make a real connection with the little guy. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 16 Dec. 2024

Heller’s screenplay adaptation of the 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder indulges the selfish antagonism that Millennial feminists take as their prerogative. —Armond White, National Review, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

: taking care of oneself without thought for others

selfishly adverb

selfishness noun

Medical Definition

selfish

adjective

self·​ish ˈsel-fish 

: being an actively replicating repetitive sequence of nucleic acid that serves no known function

selfish DNA

also : being genetic material solely concerned with its own replication

selfish genes