every man for himself
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every man for himself
- /ˈɛv.(ə.)ɹi mæn fɔː(ɹ)hɪmˈsɛlf/ UK, US
phrase
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A command, issued in case of shipwreck, that crew members are relieved of all duties and should try to save themselves.
Men, you have done your full duty. You can do no more. Abandon your cabin. Now it's every man for himself.
Opposite: women and children first
- An expression of indifference, describing or advocating selfishness, lack of comradeship, etc.
adjective every-man-for-himself
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Selfish.
I quit show business because there was too much of an every-man-for-himself attitude going on.
Similar: egocentric, self-centered, solipsistic, egoistical, every man for himself, idiocentric, individualistic, interested, porkish, reptilian, selfish, selflike
Translations
Every language
phrase forget about comradeship; save yourselves!
| Español | sálvese quien pueda, cada palo que aguante su vela |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 人各為己 /人各为己 rén gè wèi jǐ, 各人自掃門前雪 /各人自扫门前雪 gèrén zì sǎo ménqiánxuě, 人不為己，天誅地滅 /人不为己, 天诛地灭 rén bù wèi jǐ, tiān zhū dì miè |
| Português | salve-se quem puder, cada um sabe de si, cada um por si |
| Français | chacun pour soi, sauve qui peut |
| Deutsch | jeder ist sich selbst der Nächste |
| Italiano | ognun per sé, il primo prossimo è sé medesimo |
| Русский | ка́ждый са́м за́ себя́ káždyj sám zá sebjá |
| العربية | كُلّ رَجُل لِنَفْسِهِ kull rajul linafsihi |
Talk about this word "every man for himself." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/every%20man%20for%20himself. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. every man for himself. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/every%20man%20for%20himself "every man for himself." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/every%20man%20for%20himself.Cite this
@misc{every_man_for_himself_2026,
title = {every man for himself},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/every%20man%20for%20himself},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
