egoism

/ˈiːɡəʊɪzəm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈiːɡəʊɪzəm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈē-gə-ˌwi-zəm -gō-ˌi- also ˈe-/ (ame, mw)

egoism — noun

1. the habit of caring mainly about yourself and giving very little thought to what

1.名詞C1
釋義

the habit of caring mainly about yourself and giving very little thought to what other people want or need.

例句

Kian's egoism made it hard for him to keep close friends at university.

possessive + egoism for a person's trait

The novel shows how a wealthy banker's egoism slowly destroys his family.

[person]'s egoism + result clause

同義詞
  • selfishness

    everyday word; egoism is the more formal label.

  • self-absorption

    focuses on being lost in one's own thoughts rather than ignoring others' needs.

  • self-centredness

    near-synonym; slightly less judgemental than egoism.

反義詞
  • altruism

    putting other people's welfare first.

  • selflessness

    everyday opposite; less formal than altruism.

用法筆記

Often appears in formal writing about character or motive. Subject is usually a person, a group, or an attitude — rarely a concrete object. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about personal behaviour, not about ethics as a field of study.

常見錯誤

❌He showed an egoism at the meeting.
✅He showed egoism at the meeting.
💡uncountable; no indefinite article.
❌Her egoisms upset the whole class.
✅Her egoism upset the whole class.
💡no plural form for this sense.

2. in moral philosophy, the view that every person should — or in fact always does

2.名詞C2
釋義

in moral philosophy, the view that every person should — or in fact always does — act for their own benefit, and that this self-interest is what makes an action right.

例句

Professor Yan opened the lecture by comparing egoism with utilitarian views of right and wrong.

egoism vs another moral theory

Critics of ethical egoism argue that a workable society needs people who help strangers.

ethical egoism as a named position

同義詞
反義詞
  • altruism

    the rival view that morality requires putting others first.

  • utilitarianism

    competing theory: right action maximises overall happiness, not personal benefit.

用法筆記

Usually appears with a modifier that names the version of the theory: ethical egoism (what we ought to do), psychological egoism (what we in fact do), rational egoism (what reason requires). Distinguish from sense 1 by context: a philosophy classroom or ethics article almost always points to this sense.

常見錯誤

❌She studies the egoism in her ethics class.
✅She studies egoism in her ethics class.
💡no definite article when referring to the theory in general.