altruism

noun

al·​tru·​ism ˈal-trü-ˌi-zəm 

ˈȯl-

1

: unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others

charitable acts motivated purely by altruism

The premise sounds straightforward: She's decided to give a kidney to a stranger as an act of altruism.

—Matthew Jacobs

2

: behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits others of its species

By helping a close blood relative, the altruistic organism ensures that at least some of its shared genetic material will be passed on. … The genes for altruism are passed on because they improve the … fitness of the group.

—Dave Roos

see also:

effective altruism

Did you know?

Altruism Has Roots in Latin and French

Altruism refers to a quality possessed by people whose focus is on something other than themselves, and its root reveals the object of those generous tendencies. Altruism derives from the French word autrui, meaning "other people." Autrui, in turn, developed from the Old French term autre, which means "other" and which itself comes from Latin alter, also meaning "other." That Latin source eventually caused a curious thing to happen. Under the influence of alter, the French autrui gave rise to the altrui- of both the French altruisme and the English altruism. The English term has been in service since at least the mid-1800s.

Examples of altruism in a Sentence

A few skimpy corporate pensions were paid, but they were offered as much as departure incentives designed to promote business efficiency as expressions of altruism. —W. Andrew Achenbaum, Wilson Quarterly, Spring 2006

Mary may have ample resources and prefer that her share pass to her children who have greater need and are in lower income tax brackets. (The progressive nature of our tax laws often fosters such altruism among family members.) —William M. McGovern, Jr. et al., Wills, Trusts and Estates, 1988

And he still chokes up when he tells the story. Even at that young age, he understood that what his aunt was doing for him was the purest act of altruism. —Gail Sheehy, New York Times Magazine, 20 Apr. 1986

Recent Examples on the Web

The United States should not echo its 1970s policies around food power, during which officials boasted of altruism while attempting to exert political strength by alternatively deploying and withholding its grain supply. — Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026

These positive connotations associated with scientific research help the AI industry signal altruism while downplaying their profit-making ambitions. — Matthew Sun, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026

Its founders and many of its early employees were sympathetic to the utilitarian philosophical movement known as effective altruism. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Patel viewed it more as a high-stakes litmus test of his wealthy audience’s altruism. — Anna Tong, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

French altruisme, from autrui other people, from Old French, oblique case form of autre other, from Latin alter

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing altruism

• effective altruism

Rhymes for altruism

• ism
• prism
• schism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism
• anticommunism
• antisemitism
• antiterrorism
• bioterrorism
• colloquialism
• colonialism

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Kids Definition

altruism

noun

al·​tru·​ism ˈal-tru̇-ˌiz-əm 

: unselfish interest in the welfare of others

altruist

-tru̇-əst 

noun

altruistic

ˌal-tru̇-ˈis-tik 

adjective

altruistically

-ˈis-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb