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
Back in the day, the USDA helped pay for screwworm eradication down to Panama out of not pure altruism but economic pragmatism: Establishing a 100-mile screwworm barrier there is cheaper than creating one at the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border.
—
Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 27 May 2025
This policy was born not out of altruism but out of self-interest: the United States and its collective deterrent are stronger with the geography, capabilities, and political unity that allies provide.
—Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
There are some people who will criticize your generation’s altruism as childlike fantasy.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 14 June 2025
And in humans the structure has been linked to traits such as trust, empathy, moral decision-making and extraordinary altruism.
—Tobias Kalenscher, Scientific American, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for altruism
Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 27 May 2025
This policy was born not out of altruism but out of self-interest: the United States and its collective deterrent are stronger with the geography, capabilities, and political unity that allies provide.
—Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
There are some people who will criticize your generation’s altruism as childlike fantasy.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 14 June 2025
And in humans the structure has been linked to traits such as trust, empathy, moral decision-making and extraordinary altruism.
—Tobias Kalenscher, Scientific American, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for altruism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for altruism
Noun
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Throughout the documentary, this film captures the essence of simplicity in the game, the joy of generosity, and the common thread of loving soccer.—
Jackie Gutierrez,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Your capacity for empathy and generosity seems limited to Jan. 6.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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One of the biggest failures of traditional mentoring programs is treating mentors like volunteers doing charity work.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Sentebale is a charity that Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso co-founded in 2006.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Gates Foundation announced that its commitment seeks to motivate investment from governments, the private sector and philanthropy.—
Thomas Gallagher,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Delivering actual solutions to women around the world is a complicated process that requires collaborations with governments, other philanthropies, and companies.—
Indrani Sen,
Fortune,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Altruism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altruism. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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