altruist
noun
al·tru·ist
ˈal-trü-ist 
: one that adheres to or practices altruism: such as
a
: an unselfish person whose actions show concern for the welfare of others
Kim signed up with Compass, a District-based group that serves the growing number of altruists who donate not only time and money to charity and the arts but also their professional expertise.—
Robert McCartney
Robert McCartney
b
: an animal that behaves in a way which is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but which benefits the survival of others of its species
Reciprocal altruism refers to the exchange of beneficial acts between individuals, in which the benefits to the recipient exceed the cost to the altruist. … Although the potential for reciprocal altruism exists in many animal societies, most interactions occur between closely related individuals …—Robert M. Seyfarth et al.
Robert M. Seyfarth et al.
Examples of altruist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Now no one will trust EAs [effective altruists] and Doomers ever again.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2023
Wang and Singh had also become effective altruists, pledging to donate most of their earnings.
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
Jane Street attracted other young effective altruists, among them Caroline Ellison, the daughter of M.I.T. professors, who had graduated from Stanford.
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
Many effective altruists have taken inspiration from the philosopher Peter Singer, who argues that, when more than a billion people in the developing world are impoverished and suffering, spending on luxuries is morally flawed.
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
Effective altruists were once primarily concerned with near-term issues like global poverty and animal welfare.
—Kevin Roose, New York Times, 11 July 2023
Many of the company’s early hires were effective altruists, and much of its start-up funding came from wealthy E.A.-affiliated tech executives, including Dustin Moskovitz, a co-founder of Facebook, and Jaan Tallinn, a co-founder of Skype.
—Kevin Roose, New York Times, 11 July 2023
Called rationalists or effective altruists, members of this movement were instrumental in the creation of OpenAI.
—Cade Metz, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023
Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, which studies the impact of A.I. and other emerging technologies on national security, was largely funded by Open Philanthropy, an effective altruist giving organization backed by a Facebook co-founder, Dustin Moskovitz.
—Cade Metz, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2022
See More
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2023
Wang and Singh had also become effective altruists, pledging to donate most of their earnings.
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
Jane Street attracted other young effective altruists, among them Caroline Ellison, the daughter of M.I.T. professors, who had graduated from Stanford.
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
Many effective altruists have taken inspiration from the philosopher Peter Singer, who argues that, when more than a billion people in the developing world are impoverished and suffering, spending on luxuries is morally flawed.
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
Effective altruists were once primarily concerned with near-term issues like global poverty and animal welfare.
—Kevin Roose, New York Times, 11 July 2023
Many of the company’s early hires were effective altruists, and much of its start-up funding came from wealthy E.A.-affiliated tech executives, including Dustin Moskovitz, a co-founder of Facebook, and Jaan Tallinn, a co-founder of Skype.
—Kevin Roose, New York Times, 11 July 2023
Called rationalists or effective altruists, members of this movement were instrumental in the creation of OpenAI.
—Cade Metz, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023
Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, which studies the impact of A.I. and other emerging technologies on national security, was largely funded by Open Philanthropy, an effective altruist giving organization backed by a Facebook co-founder, Dustin Moskovitz.
—Cade Metz, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'altruist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1868, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near altruist
Cite this Entry
“Altruist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altruist. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on altruist
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for altruist
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share