Meanings
- nauticalA command, issued in case of shipwreck, that crew members are relieved of all duties and should try to save themselves.
Men, you have done your full duty. You can do no more. Abandon your cabin. Now it's every man for himself.
1955, Walter Lord, quoting RMS Titanic captain Edward Smith, A Night to Remember, page 86Antonyms: women and children first
- figurativelyAn expression of indifference, describing or advocating selfishness, lack of comradeship, etc.
- not comparableSelfish.
I quit show business because there was too much of an every-man-for-himself attitude going on.
1 more example
There was an every-man-for-himself attitude during the time of the Great Depression in 1930s America.
Synonyms: egocentric, self-centered, solipsistic, egocentric, egoistical, idiocentric, individualistic, interested
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseA command, issued in case of shipwreck, that crew members are relieved of all duties and should try to save themselves.
adjectiveSelfish.
Translations
Arabic كُلّ رَجُل لِنَفْسِهِ
- كُلّ رَجُل لِنَفْسِهِ (kull rajul linafsihi)forget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Catalan campi qui pugui
- campi qui puguiforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Chinese Mandarin 人各為己 /人各为己, 各人自掃門前雪 /各人自扫门前雪
- 人各為己 /人各为己 (rén gè wèi jǐ)forget about comradeship; save yourselves!
- 各人自掃門前雪 /各人自扫门前雪 (gèrén zì sǎo ménqiánxuě)forget about comradeship; save yourselves!
- 人不為己，天誅地滅 /人不为己forget about comradeship; save yourselves!
- 天诛地灭 (rén bù wèi jǐ, tiān zhū dì miè)forget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Czech každý sám za sebe
- každý sám za sebeforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Dutch ieder voor zich
- ieder voor zichforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Finnish pelastukoon ken voi
- pelastukoon ken voiforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
French chacun pour soi, sauve qui peut
- chacun pour soiforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
- sauve qui peutforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
German jeder ist sich selbst der Nächste
- jeder ist sich selbst der Nächsteforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Icelandic bjargi sér nú hver sem getur
- bjargi sér nú hver sem geturforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Italian ognun per sé, il primo prossimo è sé medesimo
- ognun per séforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
- il primo prossimo è sé medesimoforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Latin proximus egomet mihi
- proximus egomet mihiforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Māori tautauāmoa
- tautauāmoaforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Polish każdy sobie rzepkę skrobie
- każdy sobie rzepkę skrobieforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Portuguese salve-se quem puder, cada um sabe de si
- salve-se quem puderforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
- cada um sabe de siforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
- cada um por siforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Russian ка́ждый са́м за́ себя́
- ка́ждый са́м за́ себя́ (káždyj sám zá sebjá)forget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Spanish sálvese quien pueda, cada palo que aguante su vela
- sálvese quien puedaforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
- cada palo que aguante su velaforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Swedish var och en för sig, rädda sig den som kan
- var och en för sigforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
- rädda sig den som kanforget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Thai ตัวใครตัวมัน
- ตัวใครตัวมัน (dtuua-krai-dtuua-man)forget about comradeship; save yourselves!
Cite this entry
every man for himself. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/every%20man%20for%20himself
“every man for himself.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/every%20man%20for%20himself. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “every man for himself,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/every%20man%20for%20himself.
Source: every man for himself on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.