as in generosity
a tendency to regard the well-being of others as more important than one's own well-being
She was widely admired for her selflessness and dedication to the cause.
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Recent Examples of selflessness
The ship's logs show that the crew's morale was high and cited acts of selflessness.
—
Stephen Smith, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
These include positive energy and inspiration, selflessness, continuous learning, grit, levity, and stewardship.
—Anand Kumar, STAT, 21 Apr. 2026
The legend behind the festival tells the story of King Mahabali and his selflessness and devotion to the Hindu god Vishnu.
—Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
Betts credited the team’s selflessness, how players sacrificed for one another, for the good of the team.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
There’s far more to love — vulnerability, courage, selflessness — just as there’s far more to the Dead.
—Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Gray’s selflessness and willingness to play wherever his manager needs him are admirable but the long-term effects of this on his development need to be considered.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
With acts of courage, themes of selflessness, and standing in the gap for others, this movie is a challenging and beautiful watch for the entire family.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
The most agonizing and gripping sections of the book for me are the poet’s raw observations about where selflessness can lead you (as in Kimon’s exploitation by his culture, and younger writers) and how self-interest can be a kind of armor.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Stephen Smith, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
These include positive energy and inspiration, selflessness, continuous learning, grit, levity, and stewardship.
—Anand Kumar, STAT, 21 Apr. 2026
The legend behind the festival tells the story of King Mahabali and his selflessness and devotion to the Hindu god Vishnu.
—Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
Betts credited the team’s selflessness, how players sacrificed for one another, for the good of the team.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
There’s far more to love — vulnerability, courage, selflessness — just as there’s far more to the Dead.
—Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Gray’s selflessness and willingness to play wherever his manager needs him are admirable but the long-term effects of this on his development need to be considered.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
With acts of courage, themes of selflessness, and standing in the gap for others, this movie is a challenging and beautiful watch for the entire family.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
The most agonizing and gripping sections of the book for me are the poet’s raw observations about where selflessness can lead you (as in Kimon’s exploitation by his culture, and younger writers) and how self-interest can be a kind of armor.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for selflessness
Noun
-
Our policies have been defined more by optimism and generosity than by selfishness and cynicism.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
Released regionally by Angel Studios, widely known for conservative and Christian content, the movie’s last moment is framed as partisan generosity.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There is little reason to think that Leon, who has already ruled against the government, will look with particular kindness on this experiment in literary form.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
-
As the intuitive Scorpio Moon harmonizes with expansive Jupiter this morning, kindness and perspective flow naturally, helping conversations feel more open and supportive.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
This is a research area that really needs private—billionaire—philanthropy.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Charity mission dispute Musk told jurors that OpenAI’s transformation threatens broader trust in philanthropy.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Star power was required, but unselfishness defined the locker room.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
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In a small act of unselfishness, Celebrini then passed the puck to Collin Graf, only to have the Sharks winger send it right back to the still-teenaged wunderkind, who quickly fired the puck into the open net with a defender bearing down on him for his second goal of the game.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The company accepted charitable grants, including thirty million dollars from what was then called Open Philanthropy, a hub of the effective-altruism movement whose commitments included supporting the distribution of mosquito nets to the global poor.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Biblical scholar Bart Ehrman contends that our modern sense of altruism can be traced back to the radical shift in ethical thinking sparked by Jesus' teachings.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Selflessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/selflessness. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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