as in selfishness
excessive interest in oneself
her degree of self-interest is perhaps best reflected in her favorite topic of conversation—herself
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-interest
Solidarity with the Palestinians was laudable, but there’s also such a thing as self-interest.
—
Karl Vick, Time, 19 June 2025
Trump invites a different sort of trust in the United States: the certainty that Washington will seek to act ruthlessly in its own self-interest and use its might to extract the best deal for itself.
—Malcolm Turnbull, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2025
Notably, the necessity and value of domestic labor was absent from his reflections on men acting in their own self-interest.
—Katie Gatti Tassin, Time, 10 June 2025
Kissinger believed that power stemmed from a combination of economic strength, diplomatic influence, national self-interests, and military deterrence—but most importantly, the perception of resolve and strategic consistency.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-interest
Karl Vick, Time, 19 June 2025
Trump invites a different sort of trust in the United States: the certainty that Washington will seek to act ruthlessly in its own self-interest and use its might to extract the best deal for itself.
—Malcolm Turnbull, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2025
Notably, the necessity and value of domestic labor was absent from his reflections on men acting in their own self-interest.
—Katie Gatti Tassin, Time, 10 June 2025
Kissinger believed that power stemmed from a combination of economic strength, diplomatic influence, national self-interests, and military deterrence—but most importantly, the perception of resolve and strategic consistency.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-interest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-interest
Noun
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Eventually, though, the depth and selfishness of corporate psychopathy in unchecked leadership positions can cost an organization the trust of its employees.—
Shawn Cole,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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Speaking on ground where the Indonesian military had buried Timorese freedom fighters, Francis warned against the intrusion of Western liberal values that encourage materialism and selfishness.—
VICTOR GAETAN,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The result is an almost weary vanity, in which the author plays himself as if under duress, simultaneously flourishing and folding up the self.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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Its offerings—face oils, supplements, vitamin treatments, and serums—reflect a holistic approach to skincare, treating the skin as an organ and prioritizing health over vanity.—
Ian Malone,
Vogue,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Our state and federal politicians must insist on order and basic due process in ICE’s performance of its duties, not the chaos and confusion inherent in playing up to Trump’s enormous ego, tiny vocabulary and constantly flip-flopping orders, statements and media posts.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
4 July 2025
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These are the sorts of fantasies that cultivate the delicate, fledgling egos of the inexperienced, giving them enough hope, whether about their good fortune or their capacity to aestheticize bad fortune, to continue into the uncertain future.—
Book Marks
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
Noun
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In advance of the ceremony, the finalists were asked an essential question: Orwell claimed that prose writers have four ‘great motivations’ (putting aside the need to earn a living): sheer egoism; aesthetic enthusiasm; historical impulse; and political purpose.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
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Trump’s slogans—America First and Make America Great Again—embody the essence of populism, namely using ideology to advance a political program that is morally unconstrained and driven by collective egoism.—
BÁLINT MADLOVICS,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-interest. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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