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narcissism
noun
nar·cis·sism
ˈnär-sə-ˌsi-zəm
1
: egoism, egocentrism
… up until my late 30's I lived in a state of utterly monstrous narcissism and self-absorption …—Frank Conroy
2
: narcissistic personality disorder
One of the premier diagnoses of our times, narcissism is a reflection not only of an apparent trend in mental illness but also of the strains and distortions in the lives of essentially healthy people.—Robert Karen
3
: love of or sexual desire of one's own body
Synonyms
Examples of narcissism in a Sentence
in his narcissism, he just assumed that everyone else wanted to hear the tiny details of his day
Recent Examples on the Web
So, a narcissistic parent is at its core someone who has a narcissistic personality disorder or is affected by narcissism, and in turn projects that onto their children, because they are threatened by their children's growing independence.
—Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
Additionally, a 2020 study published in PLOS ONE found that narcissism is associated with lower relationship satisfaction, which in turn is associated with intentions towards infidelity.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
The fact that Seth’s desperate narcissism remains intact till the end confirms why Cronenberg was the perfect fit for this B-movie throwback — to him, nothing is more human than our vain, pathetic impulses and fears.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
In studies, for example, Russians have shown a correlation between high levels of collective narcissism (the idea that Russia is superior to other countries), collective resentment (the belief that Russians are denigrated by outsiders), and backing the war.
—Peter Pomerantsev, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1822, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Articles Related to narcissism
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Cite this Entry
“Narcissism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcissism. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
narcissism
noun
nar·cis·sism
ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm
: excessive love and admiration for oneself and especially one's own appearance
Medical Definition
narcissism
noun
nar·cis·sism
ˈnär-sə-ˌsiz-əm
2
: love of or sexual desire for one's own body
3
: the state or stage of development in psychoanalytic theory in which there is considerable erotic interest in one's own body and ego and which in abnormal forms persists through fixation or reappears through regression
More from Merriam-Webster on narcissism
Nglish: Translation of narcissism for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of narcissism for Arabic Speakers
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