Question 1 · Quick check
altruism
CEFRC1
/ˈæl.tɹu.ɪz.əm/
noun
Türkçe translations
Translating…
In plain English
- 01
noun
Care for others shown by helping them without seeking reward.
- 02
noun
Extra detailAction or behaviour that benefits another or others at some cost to the performer.
Examples
Some have characterized altruism as selfishness on behalf of others.
I admire Tom's altruism.
At a glance
Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale
- Senses
- 3
- Parts of speech
- 1
- Citations
- 3
- Synonyms
- 2
Deep Dive
noun
Extra meaningRegard for others, both natural and moral without regard for oneself; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness.
More examples
In contextThe preposterous altruism too![…]Resist not evil. It is an insane immolation of self—as bad intrinsically as fakirs stabbing themselves or anchorites warping their spines in caves scarcely large enough for a fair-sized dog.
Related
Quick test
Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.
Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.
Nearby
Origin
noun
From French altruisme, which was coined in 1830 by Auguste Comte from autrui (“of or to others”) + -isme, from Old French, from Latin alteri, dative of alter (“other”) (whence also English alter). Apparently inspired by the French Latin legal phrase l'autrui, from le bien, le droit d'autrui (“the good, the right of the other”). Introduced into English by George Henry Lewes in 1853, in his translation Comte’s Philosophy of the Sciences, 1, xxi.