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self-serving Definition

self·-serving (-sʉrviŋ)

adjective

serving one's own selfish interests, esp. at the expense of others
self-serving Usage Examples

Preposition: for

  • bent: Complication is self-serving for an industry bent on technical advance, but of no help to the confused purchaser.

Modifies a noun

  • bias: To illustrate the self-serving bias with regard to success, I will draw on my own experiences.
  • argument: This is a self-serving argument to fog the real issues involved.
  • nature: Even so, the self-serving natures of most of Mandy's reviews say a great deal about the nature of the book itself.
  • statement: The Executive Yuan must deal with this issue cautiously and seriously, thus we are not simply making self-serving statements.
  • reason: I bypassed appealing to conscience in favor of pointing out various self-serving reasons to take organics seriously.
  • interest: Our aim is to persuade European governments to put people's health before the self-serving interests of the aviation industry.

Modifying Another Word

  • possibly: Possibly self-serving sterling we found six do away with.
  • not: The prophets of the Old Testament were not self-serving.
  • entirely: You disgust me because your aims are entirely self-serving and selfish.
  • so: Us so if cost of your so self-serving quot millions nationally on.
  • rather: Now, you might say this is rather self-serving, even cynical.
  • largely: A visit would not have prospered, not least because of the widespread conviction in Washington that Wilson's peace initiative was largely self-serving.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: Lewis is quick to argue that enacted by Antonio, this final attribute becomes entirely self-serving.
  • seem: Using a bunch of superlatives only makes you seem self-serving.