Standard Lemma guide

self-interest

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S EH1 L F IH1 N T R AH0 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One's personal interest or advantage, especially when pursued without regard for others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • I cannot abandon my husband for the sake of self-interest and personal gain.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: interest

2

noun

Meaning 2

concern for your own interests and welfare

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: egoism, egocentrism, self-concern, self-centeredness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: trait

3

noun

Meaning 3

taking advantage of opportunities without regard for the consequences for others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: opportunism, self-seeking, expedience

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: selfishness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbh-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English interest English self-interest From self- + interest.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 利己主義 /利己主义 (lìjǐzhǔyì) — personal interest
  • Chinese Mandarin: 私心 (sīxīn) — personal interest
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自利 (zìlì) — personal interest
  • Danish: egennytte — personal interest
  • Danish: egeninteresse — personal interest
  • Danish: selvinteresse — personal interest
  • Finnish: oma etu — personal interest
  • German: Eigennutz — personal interest
  • German: Eigeninteresse — personal interest
  • Greek: ιδιοτέλεια (idiotéleia) — personal interest
  • Hebrew: אינטרס עצמי (interes 'atsmi) — personal interest
  • Norwegian Bokmål: egeninteresse — personal interest
  • Norwegian Bokmål: eigeninteresse — personal interest
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: eigeninteresse — personal interest
  • Polish: własna korzyść — personal interest
  • Polish: własny interes — personal interest
  • Portuguese: interesseirismo — personal interest
  • Punjabi: ਸ੍ਵਾਰਥ (svārath) — personal interest
  • Russian: своекоры́стие (svojekorýstije) — personal interest
  • Swedish: egennytta — personal interest
  • Swedish: egenintresse — personal interest
  • Turkish: öz çıkar — personal interest
  • Vietnamese: tư lợi — personal interest