selfishly

adverb

self·​ish·​ly ˈsel-fish-lē How to pronounce selfishly (audio)
: in a selfish way
acting/behaving selfishly
… he selfishly hogged attention for his injury …—Louise Erdrich
He finds support for his intuition from game theory, which says that if everyone in a game acts selfishly, everyone suffers.—Gina Kolata

Examples of selfishly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And selfishly, getting to be the badass final girl, covered in blood and kicking ass, is a dream role. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025 You’re focused on yourself selfishly. — Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 2 Feb. 2026 That choice became a cautionary tale for Democrats who argue that too many of the old guard have selfishly refused to pass the baton to the younger generation. — Vivian Yee, New York Times, 20 June 2026 Someone accuses you of acting selfishly as Mars and Chiron clash. — Usa Today, USA Today, 13 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for selfishly

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of selfishly was in 1645

Rhymes for selfishly

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Browse Nearby Words

selfish
selfishly
selfishness
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Cite this Entry

“Selfishly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selfishly. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on selfishly

Nglish: Translation of selfishly for Spanish Speakers

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