self-interest
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self·-interest (-in′trist, -in′tər ist)
noun
- one's own interest or advantage
- an exaggerated regard for this, esp. when at the expense of others
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Converse of object
- perceive: Even more importantly, deep conflicts of value and perceived self-interest are at stake.
Converse of subject
- motivate: Debate motivated by self-interest is better than no debate at all.
Adjective modifier
- enlightened: In fact, " enlightened self-interest " is, I would argue, the goal to which modern British foreign policy must be directed.
Preposition: on
- subject: Despite our obvious self-interests on the subject, our answer is always a qualified " yes " ?
Noun used with modifier
- material: Certainly, most economic analysis is based on the self-interest hypothesis, which assumes that all people are exclusively motivated by their material self-interest.
Preposition: of
- company: All we do leads back to the self-interest of the company.
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
It is not a correct deduction from the Principles of Economics that enlightened self-interest always operates in the public interest Experience does not show that individuals when they make up a social unit are always less clear-sighted than when they act separately.
Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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MLA Style
"self-interest." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009
- Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
- <www.yourdictionary.com/self-interest>
APA Style
self-interest. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary
- Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/self-interest
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