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Synonyms

self-sacrifice

American  
[self-sak-ruh-fahys, self-] / ˌsɛlfˈsæk rəˌfaɪs, ˈsɛlf- /

noun

  1. sacrifice of one's interests, desires, etc., as for duty or the good of another.

self-sacrifice British  

noun

  1. the sacrifice of one's own desires, interest, etc, for the sake of duty or for the well-being of others

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of self-sacrifice

First recorded in 1795–1805

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.

Self sacrifice, generosity, is rooted in nothing less superficial and accidental than social instincts older than the human race, for they are already present in a rudimentary form in the higher animals.

From A Grammar of Freethought by Cohen, Chapman

In times like these, each heart decrees A law unto itself; What shall it be for you and me, Self sacrifice or pelf?

From War Rhymes by Wayfarer by Cosens, Abner

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.