What does egoistical mean?
Egoistical is an adjective used to describe someone — or someone's behavior, attitude, or motives — as excessively centered on the self. An egoistical person puts their own interests, desires, and advancement first, typically without regard for the feelings or needs of others. The word is always pejorative: calling a colleague egoistical suggests selfishness and a lack of consideration, not merely confidence. It appears in both British and American English, in contexts ranging from casual criticism of a friend's behavior to serious analysis of a public figure's character. Egoistical derives from the noun 'egoism', itself built on the Latin 'ego', meaning 'I'. Its closest synonym is 'egotistical', which emphasizes conceit and boastfulness; the two words overlap so much that they are often used interchangeably, though careful writers reserve 'egotistical' for vanity and use 'egoistical' for broader selfishness. Related forms include the noun 'egoist' and the adverb 'egoistically'.
adjectiveCharacteristic of or marked by an excessive concern with oneself and one's own interests, at the expense of others. It describes a person, attitude, or behavior that is selfishly self-centered.
- Excessively concerned with oneself; selfishly self-centered (of a person, attitude, or action).
"His egoistical refusal to consider anyone else's opinion eventually alienated the whole team."
"She found his egoistical disregard for her feelings impossible to forgive."
"The novel paints a vivid portrait of an egoistical tycoon who sacrifices every relationship for personal gain."
It's essentially just 'egotistical' with the letters shuffled — but purists trace it to a different root: egoism rather than egotism.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of egoistical
Egoistical derives from the noun 'egoism', formed from Latin 'ego' meaning 'I' combined with the suffix '-ism'. English borrowed 'egoism' in the early 18th century, likely via French, and the adjective 'egoistic' followed shortly after, with 'egoistical' emerging as a variant form. The same Latin root gives us a family of related words including 'ego', 'egocentric', and 'egoist'.
Related word forms
How egoistical is actually used
Slightly less common than its synonym 'egotistical', though both appear across registers. The word carries a clearly negative, disapproving connotation. In everyday usage, many writers treat 'egoistical' and 'egotistical' as interchangeable, so precision about the distinction matters mainly in careful or formal prose.
Easily confused with egoistical
Egotistical derives from 'egotism' and often implies conceit or excessive self-praise, while egoistical derives from 'egoism' and more broadly means selfish self-interest; in practice the two overlap heavily and are frequently interchangeable.