altruistic
adjective
al·tru·is·tic
ˌal-trü-ˈi-stik 
: relating to or given to altruism:
a
: having or showing an unselfish concern for the welfare of others
altruistic acts/motives
a generous and altruistic person
Yet many of the most important institutions in our society—the fine arts, NGOs, humanitarian charities—depend on the generosity of wealthy citizens with altruistic impulses.—
Jonathan Kay
Jonathan Kay
b
: relating to or being behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to the animal itself but that benefits others of its species
The evolutionary theory of kin selection requires that social animals recognize their relatives so that altruistic behavior can be displayed preferentially toward kin.—Science
Science
altruistically
adverb
… one of the first researchers to begin to solve the paradox of how the evolutionary struggle to survive and reproduce could give rise to creatures that never reproduce and spend their lives altruistically helping others to survive.
—Carol Kaesuk Yoon
Carol Kaesuk Yoon
Synonyms
Examples of altruistic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Replete with nerve-shredding, suspenseful set pieces — the wine cellar sequence is Hitchcock at his most sadistically brilliant — Notorious, for all its melodramatic beats, explores the horrible moral tension that lurks in even theoretically altruistic espionage.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
The technology has other legal, if less altruistic, applications.
—Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2024
To some extent, there might be an altruistic component to it.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
But these crimson flashers have inspired at least one riot, are a fascinating technological innovation, and, really, symbolize a rather beautiful altruistic method of human communication.
—Susan Howson, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024
Why does a question so sensible, so altruistic, feel so strange?
—Chris Richards, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
Yet research shows we are wired for altruistic behavior and get significant gains from it.
—Talia Varley, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024
Victoria's ghoulish parents (Albert Finney and Joanna Lumley) have organized the union for not entirely altruistic reasons.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2023
Some studies find that women in general tend to be more altruistic than men.
—Holly Corbett, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
The technology has other legal, if less altruistic, applications.
—Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2024
To some extent, there might be an altruistic component to it.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
But these crimson flashers have inspired at least one riot, are a fascinating technological innovation, and, really, symbolize a rather beautiful altruistic method of human communication.
—Susan Howson, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024
Why does a question so sensible, so altruistic, feel so strange?
—Chris Richards, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
Yet research shows we are wired for altruistic behavior and get significant gains from it.
—Talia Varley, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024
Victoria's ghoulish parents (Albert Finney and Joanna Lumley) have organized the union for not entirely altruistic reasons.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2023
Some studies find that women in general tend to be more altruistic than men.
—Holly Corbett, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'altruistic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near altruistic
Cite this Entry
“Altruistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altruistic. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share