Synonyms of altruism

altruism

noun

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.

Related Words

• generosity
• charity
• philanthropy
• kindness
• magnanimity
• nobility
• humanitarianism
• selflessness
• leniency
• empathy
• mercy
• forbearance
• clemency
• unselfishness
• sympathy
• mercifulness
• understanding
• pity
• compassion
• lenience
• benevolence
• lenity
• goodwill
• goodness
• quarter
• grace
• gentleness
• tenderness
• meekness
• civility
• softness
• kindliness
• devotion
• humaneness
• worship
• favor
• affection
• niceness
• love
• mildness
• commiseration
• care

Dissimilar Words

• selfishness
• greed
• ruthlessness
• revenge
• vengeance
• retaliation
• retribution
• cruelty
• violence
• virulence
• punishment
• vindictiveness
• sadism
• hatred
• brutality
• savagery
• reprisal
• venom
• discipline
• mercilessness
• uncharitableness
• barbarity
• spite
• viciousness
• pitilessness
• vitriol
• malice
• incivility
• requital
• truculence
• atrocity
• hate
• hard-heartedness
• jealousy
• hostility
• savageness
• wantonness
• antagonism
• malevolence
• meanness
• loathing
• abhorrence
• malignancy
• scolding
• animosity
• resentment
• spleen
• enmity
• maliciousness
• castigation
• antipathy
• abomination
• chastisement
• malignity
• detestation
• ill will
• bitterness
• bile
• nastiness
• grudge
• execration
• pique
• jaundice
• gall
• rancor
• spitefulness
• hardness
• roughness
• harshness
• coarseness
• cattiness
• invidiousness
• hatefulness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of altruism

The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award was established in 2002 to honor an individual in the television industry whose humanitarian efforts exemplify those of its namesake and his altruism. — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

These positive connotations associated with scientific research help the AI industry signal altruism while downplaying their profit-making ambitions. — Matthew Sun, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026

Its founders and many of its early employees were sympathetic to the utilitarian philosophical movement known as effective altruism. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026

But any thoughts of altruism fly out the window when, as happened this month, those doughnuts come from The Donuttery in Huntington Beach. — Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2026

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