as in generosity
feelings and behavior that show a desire to help other people and a lack of selfishness
charitable acts motivated purely by altruism In one final act of altruism, she donated almost all of her money to the hospital.
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Recent Examples of altruism
Providing service to others seems like a good cure for what ails us today — a true lack of altruism and looking out for each other regardless of race, gender or religion, etc.
—
Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Advertisement The company has deep roots in effective altruism (EA), a social and philanthropic movement dedicated to using reason to do the most good, including by averting catastrophe.
—Harry Booth, Time, 11 Mar. 2026
Whether the motivations are development, altruism, returns or security, there is a role and reward for putting energy and resources into this effort.
—Ajaypal Banga, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
The Terms of Service of Anthropic’s defective altruism will never outweigh the safety, the readiness, or the lives of American troops on the battlefield.
—Tina Nguyen, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for altruism
Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Advertisement The company has deep roots in effective altruism (EA), a social and philanthropic movement dedicated to using reason to do the most good, including by averting catastrophe.
—Harry Booth, Time, 11 Mar. 2026
Whether the motivations are development, altruism, returns or security, there is a role and reward for putting energy and resources into this effort.
—Ajaypal Banga, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
The Terms of Service of Anthropic’s defective altruism will never outweigh the safety, the readiness, or the lives of American troops on the battlefield.
—Tina Nguyen, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for altruism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for altruism
Noun
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Creative self-expression and generosity of spirit are themes as the moon harmonizes with Jupiter!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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His generosity was shown on ABC 7 Chicago this past December.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Hope Florida Foundation, a state charity created for the first lady’s welfare initiative, was used to move most of the money to a political committee controlled by Uthmeier, who at the time was the governor’s chief of staff.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
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Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501(c)(3) public charity.—
Danielle J. Brown,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Kathrin has found a friendlier narrative in philanthropy.—
Simon Akam,
Vanity Fair,
2 Apr. 2026
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Fashion and beauty companies are redefining philanthropy as a core business function, not a standalone initiative, as industry leaders stressed at Monday’s Social Impact Summit in New York, hosted by the Social Impact Fund and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Foundation.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Altruism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altruism. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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