altruism

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈæltruːˌɪzəm/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    The principle or practice of selfless concern for the well-being of others; unselfish devotion to the welfare of others, often at one's own expense.; In biology and evolutionary theory, behavior by an organism that increases the fitness of another organism while decreasing the fitness of the actor.; In ethics and philosophy, the doctrine that the general welfare of society is the proper goal of an individual's actions, as opposed to egoism.; In psychology, a personality trait characterized by a consistent tendency to help others without expectation of reward.

🔗 Details

Word forms

uncountable

Collocations

pure altruismreciprocal altruismact of altruismselfless altruismmotivated by altruism

Derivatives

altruistaltruisticaltruistically

Synonyms

selflessnessgenerositybenevolencephilanthropyunselfishness

Antonyms

selfishnessegoismself-interest

Commonly confused

altruist
EN: 'Altruist' is the person who practices altruism; 'altruism' is the quality or principle itself.
egoism
EN: 'Egoism' is the philosophical opposite of altruism, prioritizing self-interest over others.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember the 'tru' in the middle (from Latin 'alter' meaning 'other'); do not write 'altruizm' or 'altruizem'.

💬 Examples

  1. Her altruism was evident in the countless hours she volunteered at the homeless shelter.

  2. The worker bee's sacrifice for the colony is a classic example of altruism in evolutionary biology.

  3. Auguste Comte coined the term altruism as a philosophical counterpoint to egoism.

  4. Studies have shown that altruism can be measured through behavioral experiments such as the dictator game.