EGOISM
none. 1 self-interest as the moral basis of behaviour. 2 systematic selfishness. 3 = *egotism. ? egoist none. Egoistic adjective. Egoistical adjective. Egoistically adverb. usage the senses of egoism and egotism overlap, but egoism alone is used as a term in philosophy and psychology to mean self-interest (often contrasted with altruism).