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Prepositions after adjectives

selfish in, selfish for or selfish of?

Selfish of is common when judging an action. Selfish in is used for behaviour in a specific area. Selfish for is usually not idiomatic.

Quick answer

Which prepositions go with selfish?

Use selfish of someone to comment on behaviour: It was selfish of him. Use selfish in to describe behaviour in a particular activity or area. Selfish for is generally not a natural adjective pattern.

It was selfish of him to ignore the others.
She can be selfish in business matters.
The phrase selfish for is usually nonstandard.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
selfish of + person

Judging someone's behaviour

Use of after selfish when commenting on an action by someone.

It was selfish of her to keep all the credit.
2
selfish in + activity

Describing selfish behaviour in a specific area

In introduces the context where the behaviour appears.

He is selfish in group discussions.
3
selfish with + thing

Talking about unwillingness to share

With is common when referring to money, time, or possessions.

She is selfish with her money.
4
selfish about + noun

Talking about possessive attitudes

About can describe protective or possessive feelings.

He is selfish about his free time.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
selfish of
It was selfish of them to leave early.
judges a person's action or behaviour
selfish in
She is selfish in negotiations.
describes behaviour in a particular context
selfish for
The phrase selfish for the children is not idiomatic.
for is generally not used directly after selfish
selfish with
He is selfish with his attention.
unwilling to share something
selfish about
She is selfish about her workspace.
protective or possessive regarding something

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using selfish for as a fixed pattern

For does not normally follow selfish directly.

✕ He is selfish for money. ✓ He is selfish with money.

Confusing selfish of and selfish in

Of comments on an action. In refers to a context or area.

✕ It was selfish in him to complain. ✓ It was selfish of him to complain.

Leaving out the action after selfish of

This structure usually comments on specific behaviour.

✓ It was selfish of her to cancel at the last minute.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. It was selfish ___ him to take the last ticket.
2. She is selfish ___ team projects.
3. He is selfish ___ his possessions.

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Frequently asked questions

Is selfish for correct?

Usually no. English normally uses selfish of, selfish with, or selfish about instead.

When do we use selfish of?

Use selfish of before a person when judging an action or decision.

Can selfish be followed by in?

Yes. Selfish in describes selfish behaviour in a particular area or activity.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"?

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