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selfless

adjective

Definition of selflessnext
as in generous
having or showing great concern for other people and little or no concern for yourself a selfless act selfless dedication to helping the most in need

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of selfless Family described Thakur in an online fundraiser for her funeral as caring, loving and selfless. — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026 Her life offers a powerful blueprint for selfless advocacy, demonstrating how to use one's position to uplift others and challenge injustice. — Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 His was the type of selfless service that is so desperately needed today. — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2026 Your entire roster - or at least nearly all of your roster - must be selfless, buy in, and put winning ahead of personal goals. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for selfless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selfless
  1. generous
  2. philanthropic
  3. compassionate
  4. charitable
  5. thoughtful
  6. humane
  7. humanitarian
  8. unselfish
Adjective
  • Order eggs Benedict topped with two generous heaps of caviar and no one blinks.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The Southeast Asian nation has long justified its generous political salaries as an important measure to curb corruption, which is rampant among some neighboring countries.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of generous
Adjective
  • Some billionaires have also pledged philanthropic contributions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • That would have been even a few more million bucks on top of what already looks more like a philanthropic civic act more than a savvy investment on Tullman’s impassioned part, but an enthusiastic punter can dream.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
Definition of philanthropic
Adjective
  • The program, also known as compassionate use, is a regulatory pathway that helps dying patients get unproven drugs outside of a clinical trial.
    — Gerry Smith, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
  • While everyone else seemed to be compassionate and understanding, David sometimes was not.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of compassionate
Adjective
  • To honor that, his family has spent the past 25 years helping people like Ray did, by establishing scholarship funds and through charitable endeavors, including an annual 5K Father’s Day run in his honor.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The store’s profits will benefit charitable causes in areas such as Homer Glen, Lemont, Lockport and Orland Park and support new nonprofit organizations looking to get a start.
    — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of charitable
Adjective
  • The anxieties surrounding data privacy, algorithmic bias and the fundamental shift in how students learn are valid and require serious, thoughtful attention.
    — Erin Mote, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Someone who reminds a likely very jaded and fickle crowd of editors, buyers, and industry observers that fashion can still be thoughtful, genuine, and most importantly, fun.
    — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of thoughtful
Adjective
  • That group of people and that production is incredibly well organized and incredibly humane and enormous fun.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
  • As a result, some smaller farmers — many with more humane and sustainable operations — feel their money is being diverted to lobby for the interests of industrialized meat corporations.
    — Kenny Torrella, Vox, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of humane
Adjective
  • The Belarusian opposition has welcomed Coale's efforts as an important humanitarian mission, but emphasized that Lukashenko's government has jailed more political prisoners.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • For Natalia Sergienko, a humanitarian worker and the director of the Kherson Power of the South public organization, the past month brought two close calls.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of humanitarian
Adjective
  • And even with an unselfish roster, what does the offensive hierarchy look like?
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Bellingham struck the post and again went close in the second half, before Güler competed the scoring thanks to unselfish play from Vinícius Júnior.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of unselfish

Browse Nearby Words

self-knowledges
selfless
selflessly
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Cite this Entry

“Selfless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selfless. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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