altruism


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al·tru·ism

 (ăl′tro͞o-ĭz′əm)
n.
1. Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.
2. Zoology Instinctive behavior that is detrimental to the individual but favors the survival or spread of that individual's genes, as by benefiting its relatives.

[French altruisme, probably from Italian altrui, someone else, from Latin alter, other; see al- in Indo-European roots.]

al′tru·ist n.
al′tru·is′tic adj.
al′tru·is′ti·cal·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

altruism

(ˈæltruːˌɪzəm)
n
1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
2. (Philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that right action is that which produces the greatest benefit to others
[C19: from French altruisme, from Italian altrui others, from Latin alterī, plural of alter other]
ˈaltruist n
ˌaltruˈistic adj
ˌaltruˈistically adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

al•tru•ism

(ˈæl truˌɪz əm)

n.
1. the principle or practice of unselfish concern for the welfare of others (opposed to egoism).
2. behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind.
[1850–55; < French altruisme=autru(i) others + -isme -ism]
al′tru•ist, n.
al`tru•is′tic, adj.
al`tru•is′ti•cal•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

altruism

a concern or regard for the needs of others, entirely without ulterior motive. — altruist, n.altruistic, adj.
See also: Attitudes
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.altruism - the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of othersaltruism - the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
unselfishness - the quality of not putting yourself first but being willing to give your time or money or effort etc. for others; "rural people show more devotion and unselfishness than do their urban cousins"
egocentrism, self-centeredness, self-concern, self-interest, egoism - concern for your own interests and welfare
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

altruism

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

altruism

noun
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
altruismus
altruizam
利他主義
altruism

altruism

[ˈæltrʊɪzəm] Naltruismo m
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

altruism

[ˈæltruɪzəm] naltruisme m
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

altruism

nAltruismus m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

altruism

[ˈæltrʊɪzm] naltruismo
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
References in classic literature ?
There's where I ran across 'altruism,' and I remember now how it was used."
Spencer I remembered enough to know that altruism was imperative to his ideal of highest conduct.
With immortality before me, altruism would be a paying business proposition.
Lop-Ear was plainly in a funk, and yet his conduct in remaining by me, in spite of his fear, I take as a foreshadowing of the altruism and comradeship that have helped make man the mightiest of the animals.
He found in altruism more pleasure than his riches, his station and all the grosser sweets of life had given him.
"He who had to create, had always his presaging dreams and astral premonitions--and believed in believing!" (See Note on Chapter LXXVII.) In the last two verses he reveals the nature of his altruism. How far it differs from that of Christianity we have already read in the discourse "Neighbour-Love", but here he tells us definitely the nature of his love to mankind; he explains why he was compelled to assail the Christian values of pity and excessive love of the neighbour, not only because they are slave-values and therefore tend to promote degeneration (see Note B.), but because he could only love his children's land, the undiscovered land in a remote sea; because he would fain retrieve the errors of his fathers in his children.
The majority of people spoil their lives by an unhealthy and exaggerated altruism - are forced, indeed, so to spoil them.
They were excited to find some participants whose brains lit up at the sight of altruism; whose personality test results tended toward the empathetic; and who were prone to giving money to others, often and well.
Lebanon, PA, June 17, 2016 --(PR.com)-- The Travelers Protective Association (TPA), a fraternal benefit society, recently presented altruism awards to seven Pennsylvania high school students.
The present paper tries to offer a systematic review of essays and articles published since 2010 In order to answer central questions still looming In the scientific study of altruism and of great Importance for Christian anthropology.
Philosophers argue that altruism is in part a moral duty and in part a matter of eudaemonic ethics.