Meaning & use
altruistic
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableformalapproving
Caring about the welfare of other people and acting for them without expecting anything back.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: an altruistic act, or her motives were altruistic.
Patterns
- altruistic motives
- an altruistic act
- altruistic toward someone
Donating a kidney to a stranger is an altruistic act.
Her altruistic nature led her to volunteer every weekend.
He claimed his reasons were altruistic, but few believed him.
adjectivenot comparablebiology
In biology, describing behavior that helps another animal while costing the animal that does it.
Grammar: Used in scientific writing about animals.
Patterns
- altruistic behavior
Meerkats show altruistic behavior by guarding the group.
Researchers study altruistic signals in bees.
An altruistic alarm call risks drawing a predator's attention.
Word forms
| comparative | more altruistic |
|---|---|
| superlative | most altruistic |
Common combinations
- an altruistic act
- Giving blood is an altruistic act.
- altruistic motives
- The donor insisted on altruistic motives.
- purely altruistic
- It is hard to find a purely altruistic reason for most choices.
- altruistic behavior
- Altruistic behavior builds trust in a community.
- altruistic nature
- Her altruistic nature made her a natural nurse.
Synonyms and how they differ
- selfless
- Selfless is the everyday word, while altruistic sounds more formal or scientific.
- unselfish
- Unselfish is a simple, common alternative and implies not being greedy, without the principle of altruism.
- charitable
- Charitable often means giving money or being generous in judgment, which is narrower than altruistic.
- benevolent
- Benevolent describes a kind attitude, often of someone with power, while altruistic describes actually acting for others.
Opposites
Word family
- altruism noun
- concern for others' wellbeing
- altruist noun
- a person who acts selflessly
- altruistically adverb
- in a way that puts others first
Commonly confused: altruistic or egoistic?
altruistic vs egoistic
Egoistic means guided by self-interest, so it is nearly the opposite of altruistic.
Practice
Which person is acting in the most altruistic way?
Choose one answer.
Anonymous help expects nothing back. The other options involve a personal benefit or reward.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “altruistic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.