Meanings
plural egoisms · alternative rare egoïsm · alternative obsolete egomism
- countableuncountableThe tendency to think selfishly with exclusive self-interest in mind.
Since all men are by nature egoists and morality can only be rationalized egoism, the problem is to devise a form of social organization that will reconcile the selfish interests of each with the needs of all.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume I: The Founders, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: powstanie (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 151Synonyms: egocentricity, selfishness, solipsism, egomism, egocentricity, hoggery, interestedness, me-firstism · Antonyms: altruism
- countableuncountableethicsThe belief that moral behavior should be directed toward one's self-interest only.
- countablenonstandarduncountableby confusion of the similar wordsEgotism (tendency to talk excessively about oneself).
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe tendency to think selfishly with exclusive self-interest in mind.
More synonyms by meaning
nounconcern for your own interests and welfare
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Arabic أَنَانِيَّة
- أَنَانِيَّة (ʔanāniyya)tendency to think of self
Bulgarian егои́зъм
- егои́зъм (egoízăm)tendency to think of self
Catalan egoisme
- egoismetendency to think of self
Chinese Mandarin 自我主義 /自我主义, 利己主義 /利己主义
- 自我主義 /自我主义 (zìwǒzhǔyì)tendency to think of self
- 利己主義 /利己主义 (lìjǐzhǔyì)tendency to think of self
- 唯我主義 /唯我主义 (wéiwǒzhǔyì)tendency to think of self
Czech sobectví, egoismus
- sobectvítendency to think of self
- egoismustendency to think of self
Danish egoism
- egoismtendency to think of self
Dutch egoïsme, zelfzucht
- egoïsmetendency to think of self
- zelfzuchttendency to think of self
Esperanto egoismo
- egoismotendency to think of self
Finnish itsekkyys, egoismi
- itsekkyystendency to think of self
- egoismitendency to think of self
French égoïsme
- égoïsmetendency to think of self
German Egoismus
- Egoismustendency to think of self
Greek εγωισμός, φιλαυτία
- εγωισμός (egoïsmós)tendency to think of self
- φιλαυτία (filaftía)tendency to think of self
Hindi अहंकार, अभिमान
- अहंकार (ahaṅkār)tendency to think of self
- अभिमान (abhimān)tendency to think of self
- घमंड (ghamaṇḍ)tendency to think of self
Icelandic egóismi
- egóismitendency to think of self
Indonesian egoisme
- egoismetendency to think of self
Japanese 利己主義
- 利己主義 (rikoshugi)tendency to think of self
Latin amor sui
- amor suitendency to think of self
Persian خودخواهی
- خودخواهیtendency to think of self
Polish egoizm, samolubność
- egoizmtendency to think of self
- samolubnośćtendency to think of self
- samolubstwotendency to think of self
Portuguese egoísmo
- egoísmotendency to think of self
Russian эгои́зм
- эгои́зм (egoízm)tendency to think of self
Spanish egoísmo
- egoísmotendency to think of self
Swedish egoism
- egoismtendency to think of self
Thai อัตนิยม, อัตตานิยม
- อัตนิยม (àt-dtà-ní-yom)tendency to think of self
- อัตตานิยม (àt-dtaa-ní-yom)tendency to think of self
- อัตตัตถนิยม (àt-dtàt-tà-nì-yom)tendency to think of self
Turkish egoizm
- egoizmtendency to think of self
Ukrainian егої́зм
- егої́зм (ehojízm)tendency to think of self
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
egoism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/egoism
“egoism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/egoism. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “egoism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/egoism.
Source: egoism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.