# ego

/ˈiɡoʊ/ (US) · /ˈiːɡəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ego
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. self-importance

noun · CEFR B2

your sense of your own value and importance, often used when someone thinks too highly of themselves.

For teachers: an individual's sense of self-esteem or self-importance. Often used in a pejorative sense to describe arrogance or a fragile self-image.

- He has a massive ego and hates it when people disagree with him.
- The manager's fragile ego made it difficult for him to accept constructive criticism from his subordinates without becoming defensive.

### 2. the conscious mind

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the part of your mind that is aware of yourself and the world around you.

For teachers: the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and mediates between primitive drives and social morals.

- In his theory, the ego tries to balance what we want with what is possible.
- Freudian theory posits that the ego functions as a mediator between the impulsive desires of the id and the idealistic standards of the superego.

Usage: Usually used with the definite article 'the'.

### 3. kinship reference point

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Academic

the person used as the starting point on a family tree or chart.

For teachers: the individual from whose perspective a kinship chart is drawn or through whom relationships are traced.

- On this family tree, ego is the person in the center marked with a square.
- In anthropological diagrams, kinship terms are defined relative to ego, regardless of the actual biological connections involved.

Usage: Typically used without an article in academic diagrams.

## Examples

- Winning the award was a huge boost to his ego.
- The director's massive ego made it difficult for anyone else on the team to share their creative ideas.
- A successful negotiation often requires setting aside one's own ego to understand the underlying anxieties driving the opposing party's demands.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.