selfishness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“First of all, I’ve served this party for a long time. I don’t do it out of selfishness, by any means,” she said at a Saturday gathering where she provided breakfast burritos to delegates.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

Ben manages to turn this mild inquiry into a long disquisition on her selfishness and disdain for his work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

I’m asking you to be distracted from that so I can consolidate my power without you complaining—so that you think I’m doing it in service to you when, actually, I’m doing it in selfishness.

From Slate • Jul. 28, 2025

"People's selfishness has taken them away from nature. They can't feel the breeze, they're too focused on the clock," said Mindahi Bastida, of the Otomi-Toltec people in Mexico.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2025

There she told the story of what had happened, and her mother wept with anger when she heard of the selfishness of her husband.

From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith