altruism

American  

[al-troo-iz-uhm] / ˈæl truˌɪz əm /

noun

• altruisms
  plural

1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism).

2. Animal Behavior. behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, as a warning cry that reveals the location of the caller to a predator.

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altruism British  

/ ˈæltruːˌɪzəm /

noun

1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for the welfare of others

2. the philosophical doctrine that right action is that which produces the greatest benefit to others

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altruism Scientific  

/ ăl′tro̅o̅-ĭz′əm /

1. Instinctive behavior that is detrimental or without reproductive benefit to the individual but that favors the survival or spread of that individual's genes. The willingness of a subordinate member of a wolf pack to forgo mating and help care for the dominant pair's pups is an example of altruistic behavior. While the individual may not reproduce, or may reproduce less often, its behavior helps ensure that a close relative does successfully reproduce, thus passing on a large share of the altruistic individual's genetic material.

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altruism Cultural  

1. A selfless concern for others.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• altruist
  noun
• hyperaltruism
  noun
• altruistic
  adjective
• altruistically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• altruisms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of altruism

First recorded in 1850–55; from French altruisme, equivalent to autru(i) “others” (with -ui from Latin cui “to whom”; -l- restored from Latin alter “other”) + -isme -ism ( def. ); popularized through translation of A. Comte, who perhaps coined it, on the model of égoisme egoism ( def. )

Explanation

If you see a stranger getting beaten up on the playground and you rush in to rescue them, you have done something unselfish to help another person, otherwise known as an act of altruism. Use the noun altruism to refer to feelings or actions that show an unselfish concern for other people. In science, altruism refers to animal behavior that could be harmful to the animal itself but that contributes to the survival of the animal group. It's related to the adjective altruistic. Someone known for their altruism is an altruist.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

altruism altruisms

Sacrifice and altruism are lost and it becomes all about immediate self-gratification.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Some of those involved in trafficking thus tend to portray their actions as altruism.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Moneyist readers have shown that anonymity and altruism are not strange bedfellows.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 20, 2026

This had gone way beyond altruism, they thought.

From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2026

Not all was altruism and ebullience, however; certain realities still cast a pall.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Those who had glasses were mostly on the upper deck, so Jimmie did not see anything of the rescue; the transports, of course, did not swerve or delay, for their orders forbade all altruisms.

From Jimmie Higgins by Upton Sinclair

Unselfishness, devotion, pity and the higher altruisms all hark back to the home as their source.

From Woman in Modern Society by Earl Barnes

She tells us that Mr. Paice's life was one long series of gentle altruisms and the truest Christianities.

From The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 2 Elia and The Last Essays of Elia by Charles Lamb

Related Words

• benevolence
• humanitarianism
• kindness
• selflessness