利り己こ主しゅ義ぎ

り

こ

しゅ

ぎ

Common wordJLPTN1

Meanings

noun

egoism; selfishness

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Refers to the principle or attitude of prioritizing one's own interests above others. Often used in ethical, social, or psychological contexts.

彼かれの行こう動どうは利り己こ主しゅ義ぎに基もとづいている。
His actions are based on selfishness.
利り己こ主しゅ義ぎは社しゃ会かいの調ちょう和わを乱みだすことがある。
Egoism can sometimes disrupt social harmony.

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Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉は利り己こ主しゅ義ぎだsomeone is egoistic/selfish
彼かれは利り己こ主しゅ義ぎだとよく批ひ判はんされる。
He is often criticized for being egoistic.
利り己こ主しゅ義ぎに走はしるto give in to selfishness
危き機きの中なかで人ひと々びとは利り己こ主しゅ義ぎに走はしった。
During the crisis, people gave in to selfishness.
利り己こ主しゅ義ぎ的てきな〈事こと〉egoistic (way of thinking, behavior, etc.)
彼かれの利り己こ主しゅ義ぎ的てきな考かんがえ方かたが問もん題だいになった。
His egoistic way of thinking became a problem.

Kanji

利profit, advantage, benefit
己self
主lord, chief, master
義righteousness, justice, morality

Related words

エゴイズム
利己主義 is the standard Sino-Japanese term for egoism, while エゴイズム is a katakana loanword used more casually or in literary/philosophical writing with the same meaning.
ミーイズム
利己主義 is the general philosophical term for putting one's own interests first, while ミーイズム specifically labels the modern social trend of valuing personal fulfillment above all.

Opposites

利り他た主しゅ義ぎ
利己主義 means prioritizing one's own interests, while 利他主義 means prioritizing the interests of others.
人じん道どう主しゅ義ぎ
利己主義 places one's own interests above others', the opposite of 人道主義's emphasis on human welfare and dignity.

Don't confuse with

自じ己こ中ちゅう心しん的てき
利己主義 names a principle or ideology of putting one's own interests first, while 自己中心的 is an adjective describing a self-centered personality or behavior, not a belief system.

Built from

利り己こ+主しゅ義ぎ

Etymology

Compound of 利己 (self-interest) and 主義 (principle, -ism). The term is a direct translation of Western concepts like egoism, likely coined during the Meiji era.