altruistic
Americanadjective
-
unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others (opposed to egoistic).
- Synonyms:
- unselfish, benevolent, philanthropic, generous, charitable
- Antonyms:
- mean, selfish, self-centered
-
Animal Behavior. of or relating to behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, often its close relatives.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of altruistic
First recorded in 1850–55; altru(ism) + -istic
Explanation
Someone who is altruistic always puts others first. An altruistic firefighter risks his life to save another's life, while an altruistic mom gives up the last bite of pie so her kid will be happy. This word comes from the Old French altruistic and means "other people" and before that the Latin alter, which means "other." Our current word comes from the nineteenth century and comes from philosophy. It means that it's important for people to be concerned with the good of others and to act unselfishly. When the word refers to the animal world, it means behavior that may actually harm the individual animal but will benefit the species in general. This is a truly selfless act!
Vocabulary lists containing altruistic
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Into the Wild
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'Tis The Season: Words For Giving
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even the most altruistic acts have some psychological or emotional underpinning.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
There have been cases of altruistic surrogates changing their mind about giving up babies, though these cases are exceptionally rare.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
Musk argues in his lawsuit that he was deceived about OpenAI's mission being altruistic.
From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026
“The reality, however, is that altruistic idealists are few and far between in this world.”
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
I expected Alyssa to argue, because she’s the only one of us altruistic enough to be okay with that.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
