unselfish
adjective
un·self·ish
ˌən-ˈsel-fish 
: not selfish : generous
unselfishly
adverb
unselfishness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of unselfish in a Sentence
She's a very unselfish young woman.
an unselfish man who spends much of his time helping his community
Recent Examples on the Web
Most crucial to the movie’s effectiveness is the director’s success in coaxing rich, nuanced, utterly unselfish performances from three starry headliners with distinct styles of acting.
—
Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
In his previous stints in Slam Ball, Kirsch came to the conclusion that being a great Slam Ball team required not only excellent athleticism, but a sophisticated attack and unselfish players.
—Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Aug. 2023
And those watching summer league games tend to be hardcore fans who appreciate gritty, unselfish basketball.
—Terry Pluto, cleveland, 23 July 2023
As word spread about his teammate’s unselfish play, Conti was overwhelmed, Dooley said at a press conference on Tuesday.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 9 Aug. 2023
But by the end of the third, his unselfish play helps elevate the team to another level.
—Stephen Borelli, USA TODAY, 29 July 2023
Her unselfish choice to lift up the Black progenitors of dance music helps to solidify their legacy at a time when those origins are slowly being erased.
—Hazlitt, 19 July 2023
Empathy, trust, and true connection are predicated on unselfish listening.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 22 June 2023
The Virginia Tech commit was one of six Knights that scored as the team’s unselfish offense and team chemistry was on display.
—Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 2 May 2023
See More
Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
In his previous stints in Slam Ball, Kirsch came to the conclusion that being a great Slam Ball team required not only excellent athleticism, but a sophisticated attack and unselfish players.
—Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Aug. 2023
And those watching summer league games tend to be hardcore fans who appreciate gritty, unselfish basketball.
—Terry Pluto, cleveland, 23 July 2023
As word spread about his teammate’s unselfish play, Conti was overwhelmed, Dooley said at a press conference on Tuesday.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 9 Aug. 2023
But by the end of the third, his unselfish play helps elevate the team to another level.
—Stephen Borelli, USA TODAY, 29 July 2023
Her unselfish choice to lift up the Black progenitors of dance music helps to solidify their legacy at a time when those origins are slowly being erased.
—Hazlitt, 19 July 2023
Empathy, trust, and true connection are predicated on unselfish listening.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 22 June 2023
The Virginia Tech commit was one of six Knights that scored as the team’s unselfish offense and team chemistry was on display.
—Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 2 May 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unselfish.' 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
1698, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near unselfish
Cite this Entry
“Unselfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unselfish. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
unselfish
adjective
un·self·ish
ˌən-ˈsel-fish
ˈən-
: not selfish : generous
unselfishly
adverb
unselfishness
noun
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