selfish intent

[/ˈsɛlfɪʃ ɪnˈtɛnt/]
noun phrasepl: selfish intents
intenção egoísta
1. a purpose or plan motivated primarily by personal gain or benefit, disregarding the needs or welfare of others
His selfish intent was to take all the credit for the project without acknowledging his colleagues' contributions.
Sua intenção egoísta era levar todo o crédito do projeto sem reconhecer as contribuições de seus colegas.
2. an underlying motive driven by self-interest rather than altruism or concern for the common good
She questioned whether his offer to help had a selfish intent behind it.
Ela questionou se havia uma intenção egoísta por trás de sua oferta de ajuda.
In Brazilian culture, direct accusations of selfish intent can be considered quite offensive and confrontational. Americans tend to be more direct in questioning motives, while Brazilians may approach this more indirectly through relationship-building and observation. The concept reflects universal concerns about authenticity in personal and professional relationships across both cultures.
NYC Slang
sketchy motive / looking out for number one
Synonyms / Sinônimos
self-interested motivepersonal agendaulterior motiveself-serving purposeegoistic aim
Antonyms / Antônimos
altruistic intentselfless purposebenevolent motivephilanthropic aim

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
intenção egoísta
most common and standard usage
Rio de Janeiro
intenção egoísta / interesse próprio
colloquially may add 'interesse próprio' for emphasis
São Paulo
intenção egoísta
formal and business contexts use this primarily
Portugal
intenção egoísta / propósito interesseiro
Portuguese variant sometimes uses 'interesseiro' for self-interested

Related Words

selfishnessegoismself-interestgreedmotivationintention

Related Idioms & Phrases

have an axe to grind
ulterior motives
out for oneself
with strings attached
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