inner-directed

adjective

Definition of inner-directednext
as in egocentric

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inner-directed
  1. egocentric
  2. narcissistic
  3. selfish
  4. solipsistic
  5. self-centered
  6. self-absorbed
  7. self-regarding
  8. egoistic
Adjective
  • This preemptive caretaking also prevents people from growing out of egocentric thinking.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • It is used in systems like EgoMimic and EMMA to train manipulation policies from egocentric human data.
    — Rushil Agarwal, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of egocentric
Adjective
  • The titular gang comprises Mac (McElhenney), a closeted wannabe tough guy; the narcissistic prepster Dennis (Glenn Howerton); Dennis’s chronically unsure fraternal twin, Dee (Kaitlin Olson); and the bar’s buffoonish janitor, Charlie (Charlie Day).
    — Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • On the first three seasons, Marchand played Tony’s narcissistic mother, Livia Soprano.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of narcissistic
Adjective
  • Your co-workers need to watch out for themselves, but this shouldn’t be seen as selfish.
    — Dr. Cynthia J. Young, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Erika is manipulative and selfish; Elliot doesn’t respect her boundaries either.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of selfish
Adjective
  • Fried fights a good fight against such solipsistic falsities.
    — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Trump gleefully tearing up large chunks of the White House and my hometown, trying to install a solipsistic arch, an exclusive golf course, a gargantuan ballroom and a garden of heroes — all to his Versailles-on-acid specifications.
    — Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
Definition of solipsistic
Adjective
  • Employees do not need to become self-centered or aggressive to receive proper recognition.
    — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 9 June 2026
  • His new wife is demanding and self-centered, with clear narcissistic traits.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
Definition of self-centered
Adjective
  • The Lacobs were ultimately too risk-averse, too cautious, and too self-absorbed to build anything of worth without their former general manager.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
  • Life in the middle, utterly self-absorbed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 June 2026
Definition of self-absorbed
Adjective
  • As Dylan plays a series of shows, he is also seen in various hotel rooms, cutting down journalists and others with a self-regarding wit.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
  • The screenwriter, Nora Garrett, has achieved an amusingly florid Hollywood simulacrum—one that tilts into knowing parody—of an intensely self-regarding world.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Definition of self-regarding
Adjective
  • Three hundred high school players gather at a remote facility to compete in ruthless trials where only one will emerge as the world’s greatest and most egoistic striker.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of egoistic
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.

Browse Nearby Words

inner city
inner-directed
inner light
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Cite this Entry

“Inner-directed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inner-directed. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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