Meaning of altruism in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Noun
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈæltruˌɪzəm/

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  1. Noun

    altruism

    Etymology

    mid 19th century: from French altruisme, from Italian altrui‘somebody else’, from Latin alteri huic‘to this other’

    Definitions

    1. the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others

    Antonyms

Famous quotes

  • « I would rather be kept alive in the efficient if cold altruism of a large hospital than expire in a gush of warm sympathy in a small one. »
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  • « Britain, relative to the U.S., is a highly secular society. Philanthropy alone cannot fill the gap left by government cutbacks. And the sources of altruism go deep into our evolutionary past. »
    Jonathan Sacks
  • « Individual versus group selection results in a mix of altruism and selfishness, of virtue and sin, among the members of a society. »
    E. O. Wilson
  • « Religion creates community, community creates altruism and altruism turns us away from self and towards the common good... There is something about the tenor of relationships within a religious community that makes it the best tutorial in citizenship and good neighborliness. »
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  • « If any civilization is to survive, it is the morality of altruism that men have to reject. »
    Ayn Rand

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