What does egoist mean?
An egoist is a person who places their own interests, desires, and welfare above those of everyone else — in plain terms, a selfish person. The word derives from the Latin 'ego', meaning 'I', and entered English via the French 'égoïste' during the nineteenth century. In everyday usage it is pejorative, describing someone who is self-absorbed to the point of disregarding others' needs or feelings. In philosophy, by contrast, 'egoist' has a neutral, technical sense: an adherent of egoism, the doctrine that self-interest is the natural or legitimate motive for action. Ethical egoists argue people ought to pursue their own good, while psychological egoists claim they inevitably do. The term overlaps with but is not identical to 'egotist', which stresses boastful self-admiration rather than pure self-interest. Whether used as criticism or philosophy, 'egoist' captures the figure at the centre of their own universe.
A person who is excessively self-interested or selfish.
"She dismissed him as an egoist who never thought about anyone but himself."
(Philosophy) A person who believes in or advocates egoism, the doctrine that self-interest governs or should govern conduct.
"The ethical egoist holds that each individual ought to pursue their own greatest good."
This is a neutral, technical sense used within moral philosophy, distinct from the pejorative everyday meaning.
Standard regular plural; applies only to the noun senses.
"The novel's cast is full of egoists, each blind to the others' suffering."
The word 'ego' simply means 'I' in Latin — so an egoist is, quite literally, a person whose whole world begins and ends with 'me'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of egoist
'Egoist' comes from the Latin 'ego', meaning 'I', combined with the suffix '-ist' denoting an adherent of a principle. It reached English through the French 'égoïste' during the nineteenth century, alongside its sibling term 'egotism', which had appeared earlier. Its cognates include 'egoism', 'egotism', and other words built on the same Latin root, such as 'superego'.
Related word forms
How egoist is actually used
The word is somewhat formal in register and carries a strongly negative connotation in everyday use. In philosophy, however, 'egoist' is a neutral technical term for a holder of egoism, which may be descriptive (people do act from self-interest) or normative (they ought to). 'Egoist' should not be confused with 'egotist', though they are often used interchangeably in casual speech.
Easily confused with egoist
An egotist is someone who talks about and admires themselves excessively (boastful), while an egoist is someone who acts purely out of self-interest (selfish); the two overlap but emphasize different flaws.