selfless

[ self-lis ]

/ ˈsɛlf lɪs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR selfless ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having little or no concern for oneself, especially with regard to fame, position, money, etc.; unselfish.

Nearby words

selfheal, selfhood, selfie, selfish, selfishly, selfless, selflessly, selfness, selfridge, selfsame, selfward

Origin of selfless

First recorded in 1815–25; self + -less

Related formsself·less·ly, adverbself·less·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for selfless

Yet Lohse is confident that the reader will take his actions as the fruits of selfless moral courage.
An Ivy League Frat Boy’s Shallow Repentance|Stefan Beck|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We celebrate military heroes and selfless individuals who sacrifice their own lives for the good of others.
On Her Own Terms: Why Brittany Maynard Has Chosen to Die|Gene Robinson|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In fact, our devotion to those ideals has only been strengthened by the selfless heroism we have seen.
The Resilient City: New York After 9/11|John Avlon|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The letter closes with noble words of faith and hope from the hot zone where screw-ups are met each day with selfless courage.
How Bureaucrats Let Ebola Spread to Nigeria|Michael Daly|August 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I loved him then for his generosity to others and for his selfless concern for the Cause.
Leonard Bernstein Asked About Hemingway, So Martha Gellhorn Set the Record Straight|Leonard Bernstein, Martha Gellhorn|October 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The selfless life sounded barren and cold; it roused no flicker of joy.
A Question of Marriage|Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
Such qualities alone will bring to a drama the selfless character which soaks it with inevitability.
The Complete Essays of John Galsworthy|John Galsworthy
It is so absolutely without affectation, and so selfless, and yet such a mastery of the instrument.
Juliana Horatia Ewing And Her Books|Horatia K. F. Eden
Is that love, that hallowed, selfless love, of theirs to be wholly unavailing?
Fathers and Sons|Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev
His selfless love for the girl touched her more than she had thought it possible for anything now to touch her worldly heart.
From Out the Vasty Deep|Mrs. Belloc Lowndes

British Dictionary definitions for selfless

selfless

/ (ˈsɛlflɪs) /

adjective

having little concern for one's own interests

Derived Formsselflessly, adverbselflessness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for selfless

selfless

adj.

"devoted to others' welfare or interest and not one's own," 1825, from self + -less. First attested in Coleridge. Related: Selflessly; selflessness.

selfless

adjective

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Origin of selfless

Examples from the Web for selfless

British Dictionary definitions for selfless

selfless

adjective

Word Origin and History for selfless

selfless