noun · neutral
altruism
UK/ˈæltruɪz(ə)m/US/ˈæltruˌɪzəm/AL·tru·ism
Selfless concern for the welfare of others; unselfish behaviour or attitudes.
Examples
“Voluntary blood donors act out of altruism rather than for money.”
“Altruism is often discussed in ethics and social policy debates.”
“Some psychologists study whether true altruism exists or if all acts have selfish motives.”
Band 8 sentence
“While altruism motivates many volunteers, effective public policy must pair goodwill with sustainable funding.”
Collocations
- act of altruism
- pure altruism
- altruistic motives
Word family
Common mistakes
an altruism→altruism
altruistic people are always helping→altruistic people often help others
Say it for a higher band
5helping others→6selflessness→7+altruism
Synonyms
selflessness
Easily confused
philanthropy
“Her philanthropy funded scholarships for disadvantaged students.”
Related words
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In -ism
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