What does "altruism" mean?
Regard for others, both natural and moral without regard for oneself; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness.
Altruism
/ˈæl.tɹu.ɪz.əm/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Regard for others, both natural and moral without regard for oneself; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness.
- Grammar: altruism is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: selflessness, agape, beneficence, beneficence.
- Useful contrasts: least communal attitude, selfish aims, selfish values.
- Usage evidence: I detest Ayn Rand. She rejected altruism, but in her last years, she was on social security and medicare. What a colossal idiot!
How to use "altruism"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "altruism" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "altruism" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "altruism" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 Regard for others, both natural and moral without regard for oneself; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness. countable, uncountable
"The preposterous altruism too![…]Resist not evil. It is an insane immolation of self—as bad intrinsically as fakirs stabbing themselves or anchorites warping their spines in caves scarcely large enough for a fair-sized dog."
- 2 the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others wordnet
- 3 Action or behaviour that benefits another or others at some cost to the performer. countable, uncountable
"Altruism is a behaviour of an individual that benefits another at its own expense.[…]She decided to investigate what motivates ants to undertake these dangerous missions, where they risk getting trapped themselves or, worse, eaten by predatory antlion larvae, which dig pits and lurk, semi-concealed, at the bottom with their jaws wide open. Such apparently selfless rescue behaviour is seen by many as one of the purest forms of altruism.[…]Being nice to relatives is not pure altruism because they share your genes so, by helping them, you promote your own genetic heritage."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
least communal attitudeselfish aimsselfish valuesless communal attitudes
Example
"I detest Ayn Rand. She rejected altruism, but in her last years, she was on social security and medicare. What a colossal idiot!"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "altruism"?
Common synonyms include: selflessness, agape, beneficence, beneficence, benevolence, benevolent disposition.
How do you use "altruism" in a sentence?
I detest Ayn Rand. She rejected altruism, but in her last years, she was on social security and medicare. What a colossal idiot!
How do you pronounce "altruism"?
Pronounced /ˈæl.tɹu.ɪz.əm/.
Etymology
From French altruisme, which was coined in 1830 by Auguste Comte from autrui (“of or to others”) + -isme, from Old French, from Latin alteri, dative of alter (“other”) (whence also English alter). Apparently inspired by the French Latin legal phrase l'autrui, from le bien, le droit d'autrui (“the good, the right of the other”). Introduced into English by George Henry Lewes in 1853, in his translation Comte’s Philosophy of the Sciences, 1, xxi.