Word
altruistic
Meanings
caring about others and acting to help them without wanting a reward
done mainly for the benefit of others rather than for personal gain
Definition
Showing a selfless concern for other people’s well-being.
Someone who is altruistic cares about helping others without expecting anything in return. It often involves giving time, effort, or resources for another person’s benefit. The word usually suggests genuine concern rather than helping to gain praise or advantage.
Examples
- I admired her altruistic decision to mentor interns even when she had no time to spare.
- You can be altruistic without making a spectacle of your generosity.
- He took an altruistic approach to leadership, crediting the team and sharing opportunities fairly.
- They described the rescue as altruistic, carried out simply because someone needed help.
- The organization stayed altruistic in its mission, prioritizing support over publicity.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse "altruistic" with "optimistic" because they sound similar, but "altruistic" is about selfless concern for others.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.