Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of self-interest As Republicans seek to demolish the agency, its defenders should appeal to a higher principle than self-interest. Maany Peyvan, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025 To Trump, a great nation is not one that leads the world, but one that ignores its suffering in pursuit of self-interest. Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025 Only a less delusional motivation, a larger conception of self-interest, can move the world in a less delusional direction. Winslow Myers, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 But there are barriers, including a lack of trust between nations and conflicting national self-interest. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for self-interest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-interest
Noun
  • And a lot of them have the same thing, which is just like, there is a sort of narcissism a little bit, selfishness.
    H. Alan Scott, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Not in the same universe of selfishness and greediness 😂 N Niko K. · 8h 20m ago Ronaldo has five Ballon d‘Ors as well as five Champions League titles.
    Thom Harris, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Each of the bedrooms has a corresponding en suite that features beadboard walls, an oak vanity with rope detailing, and a stone countertop that extends upwards to wrap around the mirrors.
    Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Residential wet rooms can be just one feature in an expensive, spa-like primary bathroom decked out with a sauna, toilet, vanity and a mini cold-plunge pool.
    The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This kind of self-inquiry forces leaders to separate ego from strategy, ensuring that decisions are based on the best available information rather than past habits.
    Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
  • So much more than a story about football players, this series takes in race, socio-economics, and what happens to outsized egos in the face of failure.
    Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • Psychological egoism is at play here, too, with Jimmy’s extreme emotional investment in getting Grace help.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Self-interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-interest. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

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