Ego Meaning
/ˈiɡo/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe self, especially with a sense of self-importance.
nounThe most central part of the mind, which mediates with one's surroundings.
Sentence Examples
You can never have too much ego.
He has a huge ego.
He has the biggest ego of anyone I've ever met.
CEFR Practice Quiz
His enormous ____ prevented him from ever admitting a mistake.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
You can never have too much ____.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"When every thought absorbs your attention completely, when you are so identified with the voice in your head and the emotions that accompany it that you lose yourself in every thought and every emotion, then you are totally identified with form and therefore in the grip of ego. Ego is a conglomeration of recurring thought forms and conditioned mental-emotional patterns that are invested with a sense of I, a sense of self."
— 1998, Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth:
"In the well adjusted person the ego is the executive of the personality and is governed by the reality principle."
— 1954, Calvin S. Hall, A Primer of Freudian Psychology:
"‘Everything begins with “I”, you mean. Which is ego,’ said Tom, placing an ankle behind his ear, ‘not id.’"
— 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, section I, page 13:
"Too many gay people "come out" publicly, yet fail to achieve truly healthy egos. They "adjust" to being less than whole or integrated persons."
— 1976 February 7, Philip Gambone, “Coming Out: The Gay Identity Process”, in Gay Community News, volume 3, number 32, page 4:
"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."
— 2024 January 10, Christian Wolmar, “A time for change? ... just as it was back in issue 262”, in RAIL, number 1000, page 60:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
His enormous ____ prevented him from ever admitting a mistake.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
You can never have too much ____.