altruism
noun
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
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
Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 3 July 2024
Among the interesting interviewees is psychology professor Abigail Marsh, whose personal history prompted her interest in understanding the neural and cognitive basis of empathy, altruism, aggression and psychopathy.
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 26 June 2024
But this Neanderthal girl -- who suffered from health issues such as hearing loss, imbalance problems and vertigo -- likely could not return the favor, so her survival appears to be based purely on the altruism of the adults around her, Conde-Valverde said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 26 June 2024
Pyongyang was never known for altruism: Russia is paying for military supplies with fuel and food.
—Sergey Radchenko, NPR, 19 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for altruism 
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.
Articles Related to altruism
Dictionary Entries Near altruism
Cite this Entry
“Altruism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altruism. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
altruism
noun
Share