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
Examples of altruistic in a Sentence
I'm not being altruistic in giving you these books, since I was going to have to lug them with me if you hadn't come along
Recent Examples on the Web
According to Dr Towers and collaborators, this altruistic behavior makes sense because orcas are intelligent and highly social animals that use food sharing as a way to build relationships with kin as well as unrelated individuals.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
He’s considered the influence of emotions on moral judgement, the emotions provoked by bioethical issues such as human cloning, and the roles of empathy and ego in altruistic behavior.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 June 2025
As in any American history, those songs are as full of resentment and theft and self-justification as anything kindly or altruistic.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
Cross transformed her sweet and altruistic Dr. Kimberly Shaw over the course of five seasons into an unpredictable — and unstable — menace.
—EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025
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Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
He’s considered the influence of emotions on moral judgement, the emotions provoked by bioethical issues such as human cloning, and the roles of empathy and ego in altruistic behavior.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 June 2025
As in any American history, those songs are as full of resentment and theft and self-justification as anything kindly or altruistic.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
Cross transformed her sweet and altruistic Dr. Kimberly Shaw over the course of five seasons into an unpredictable — and unstable — menace.
—EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for altruistic
Cite this Entry
“Altruistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altruistic. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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