Meanings
plural selfishnesses
- countableuncountableThe quality of being selfish, the condition of putting one's own interests before those of others.
And he knows that Patrick can afford to complain about his mother’s minor selfishness but he cannot afford to engage with the idea of his own father at all.
2014 February 17, Dan Callahan, “Looking Recap: Versatility”, in Vulture1 more example
This common faith or set of aspirations, he added, could also help Americans transcend their selfishnesses and follies and promote a world civil religion given to justice and hope.
1988 March 5, Martin E. Marty, “FRONT-PAGE RELIGION”, in The New York TimesSynonyms: egocentricity, me-firstism, self-centeredness, egoism, egomism, egocentricity, hoggery, interestedness · Antonyms: selflessness
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe quality of being selfish, the condition of putting one's own interests before those of others.
More synonyms by meaning
nounstinginess resulting from a concern for your own welfare and a disregard of others
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Arabic أَنَانِيَّة
- أَنَانِيَّة (ʔanāniyya)quality of being selfish
Bengali স্বার্থপরতা
- স্বার্থপরতা (śarthoprota)quality of being selfish
Bulgarian себичност
- себичност (sebičnost)quality of being selfish
Catalan egoisme
- egoismequality of being selfish
Czech sobeckost
- sobeckostquality of being selfish
Dutch zelfheid, eigenheid
- zelfheidquality of being selfish
- eigenheidquality of being selfish
Esperanto memcentreco, memismo
- memcentrecoquality of being selfish
- memismoquality of being selfish
- egoismoquality of being selfish
Finnish itsekeskeisyys, itsekkyys
- itsekeskeisyysquality of being selfish
- itsekkyysquality of being selfish
French égocentrisme, égoïsme
- égocentrismequality of being selfish
- égoïsmequality of being selfish
German Egoismus, Selbstsucht
- Egoismusquality of being selfish
- Selbstsuchtquality of being selfish
Greek εγωισμός
- εγωισμός (egoïsmós)quality of being selfish
Hebrew אנוכיות
- אנוכיותquality of being selfish
Irish leithleachas
- leithleachasquality of being selfish
Italian egoismo
- egoismoquality of being selfish
Korean 이기심
- 이기심 (igisim)quality of being selfish
Lithuanian savanaudiškumas
- savanaudiškumasquality of being selfish
Māori kaipuku
- kaipukuquality of being selfish
Polish egoizm, samolubność
- egoizmquality of being selfish
- samolubnośćquality of being selfish
- samolubstwoquality of being selfish
Portuguese egoísmo
- egoísmoquality of being selfish
Romanian egoism
- egoismquality of being selfish
Russian эгои́зм, себялю́бие
- эгои́зм (egoízm)quality of being selfish
- себялю́бие (sebjaljúbije)quality of being selfish
Spanish egoísmo
- egoísmoquality of being selfish
Tamil தன்னலம், சுயநலம்
- தன்னலம் (taṉṉalam)quality of being selfish
- சுயநலம் (cuyanalam)quality of being selfish
Turkish bencillik, egoistlik
- bencillikquality of being selfish
- egoistlikquality of being selfish
- hodbinlikquality of being selfish
Welsh hunanoldeb
- hunanoldebquality of being selfish
Yiddish עגאָיִזם
- עגאָיִזם (egoizm)quality of being selfish
Cite this entry
selfishness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/selfishness
“selfishness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/selfishness. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “selfishness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/selfishness.
Source: selfishness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.