Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries
altruistic - 3 dictionary results

al⋅tru⋅is⋅tic

  [al-troo-is-tik]
Use altruistic in a Sentence
–adjective
1. unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others (opposed to egoistic ).
2. Animal Behavior. of or pertaining to behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, often its close relatives.
Origin:
1850–55; altru(ism) + -istic

Related forms:
al⋅tru⋅is⋅ti⋅cal⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. charitable, generous, philanthropic; benevolent, unselfish.

Antonyms:
1. self-centered, selfish, mean.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To altruistic
al·tru·ism   (āl'trōō-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-1 in Indo-European roots.]
al'tru·ist n., al'tru·is'tic adj., al'tru·is'ti·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Altruistic

Al`tru*is"tic\, a. [Cf. F. altruiste, a. See Altruism..] Regardful of others; beneficent; unselfish; -- opposed to egoistic or selfish. --Bain. -- Al`tru*is"tic*al*ly, adv.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see altruistic on Thesaurus | Reference