ego
nounverbcommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈiːɡəʊ//
- United States//ˈiɡoʊ//
- //ˈiɡo//
- //ˈɛɡəʊ//
The self, especially with a sense of self-importance.
noun
- 1
The self, especially with a sense of self-importance.
- 2
The most central part of the mind, which mediates with one's surroundings.
In the well adjusted person the ego is the executive of the personality and is governed by the reality principle.
‘Everything begins with “I”, you mean. Which is ego,’ said Tom, placing an ankle behind his ear, ‘not id.’
- 3
A person's self-esteem and opinion of themselves.
Too many gay people "come out" publicly, yet fail to achieve truly healthy egos. They "adjust" to being less than whole or integrated persons.
My columns in the early days of the Labour government often featured John Prescott, who was in charge of transport as part of a mega-department created to match his ego.
- 4
The individual from whose point of view a family tree or pedigree chart is drawn, or the reference point from whom kinship terminology is relative. (Used without the definite article the.)
the cousin of ego on the father's side
Etymology
From Latin ego (“I”). Chosen by Freud’s translator as a translation of his use of German Ich as a noun for this concept from the pronoun ich (“I”). Doublet of I and Ich.
verb
- 1
To damage someone's ego.
Forms
- plural
- egos
- past tense
- egoed, ego'd
- past participle
- egoed, ego'd
- present participle
- egoing
- third person singular
- egos
ego · The self, especially with a sense of self-importance.
Egypt · A country in North Africa and West Asia. Official name: Arab…Egyptian · Of, from, or pertaining to Egypt, the Egyptian people or the…eh · Used as a tag question, to emphasise what goes before or to…