altruism

noun

al·​tru·​ism ˈal-trü-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce altruism (audio)
1
: unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others
charitable acts motivated purely by altruism
2
: behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits others of its species

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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 And Charles Darwin wondered if altruism was an extension of maternal love. Lulu Garcia-Navarro, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 This funding came from a number of individuals and philanthropic associations connected to the effective altruism movement and concerned with the potential existential risk of artificial intelligence. IEEE Spectrum, 25 Jan. 2024 And then this beautiful thing also happens with that altruism where we are focused on the communal good versus an individual good. Holly Corbett, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The point of helping Ukraine defend itself against its despotic foe — like the point of defending Israel, or Taiwan, or NATO members rich or poor — isn’t altruism. Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2024 Barriers To Investment Pension funds haven’t agreed to the 5.0% target out of altruism. Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Twisted altruism, vigilante justice If first novels indicate career trajectory, Jahmal Mayfield has a future in crime fiction. Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Feb. 2024 The trend is both inspiring and challenging — inspiring in its demonstration of how Black women consistently show up for their communities and challenging because that altruism often comes at a personal cost. Ebony Flake, Essence, 16 Jan. 2024 Tweed provided generously for the Irish and other immigrants, not out of altruism but political expediency. Madeleine Kearns, National Review, 14 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'altruism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of altruism was in 1853

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Dictionary Entries Near altruism

Cite this Entry

“Altruism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altruism. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

altruism

noun
al·​tru·​ism ˈal-tru̇-ˌiz-əm How to pronounce altruism (audio)
: unselfish interest in the welfare of others
altruist noun
altruistic adjective
altruistically adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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