Meanings
adjectivealtruistic (comparative more altruistic, superlative most altruistic)
comparative more altruistic · superlative most altruistic
- Regardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
His helping the old woman with her shopping was deemed highly altruistic by everyone, especially since her home was a mile away.
Synonyms: beneficent, humane, philanthropic, selfless, unselfish · Antonyms: egoistic, misanthropic, selfish
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveRegardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élyos
- Proto-Italic*aljos
- Proto-Italic*aliteros
- Latinalterī
- Vulgar Latin*alterui
- Old Frenchautrui
- Frenchautrui
- Frenchaltruisme
- Englishaltruism
- Englishaltruist
- Englishaltruistic
From altruist + -ic. See altruism.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan altruista
- altruistaregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Czech altruistický
- altruistickýregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Danish altruistisk, uegennyttig
- altruistiskregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- uegennyttigregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Dutch altruïstisch
- altruïstischregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Esperanto altruisma
- altruismaregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Estonian altruistlik
- altruistlikregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Finnish altruistinen, epäitsekäs
- altruistinenregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- epäitsekäsregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- pyyteetönregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
French altruiste, désintéressé
- altruisteregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- désintéresséregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
German altruistisch, selbstlos
- altruistischregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- selbstlosregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- uneigennützigregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Greek αλτρουιστικός
- αλτρουιστικός (altrouistikós)regardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Hungarian altruista, altruisztikus
- altruistaregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- altruisztikusregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Icelandic ósérplæginn, óeigingjarn
- ósérplæginnregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- óeigingjarnregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- fórnfúsregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Italian altruista, altruistico
- altruistaregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- altruisticoregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Japanese 利他的な
- 利他的な (rita-teki-na)regardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Norwegian altruistisk
- altruistiskregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Polish bezinteresowny, altruistyczny
- bezinteresownyregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- altruistycznyregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Portuguese altruísta
- altruístaregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Romanian altruist, generos
- altruistregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- generosregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- binefăcătorregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Russian альтруисти́ческий
- альтруисти́ческий (alʹtruistíčeskij)regardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Spanish altruista, altruístico
- altruistaregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
- altruísticoregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Swedish altruistisk
- altruistiskregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Turkish özgecil
- özgecilregardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Ukrainian альтруїсти́чний
- альтруїсти́чний (alʹtrujistýčnyj)regardful of others; beneficent; unselfish
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with altruistic
realisticcharacteristicholisticlinguisticmysticoptimisticballisticcysticfuturisticheuristicjournalisticpessimisticatavisticsurrealisticmisticcannibalisticjingoistichubristicactivisticallisticArabisticAramaisticcriminalisticeconomistic
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
altruistic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/altruistic
MLA
“altruistic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/altruistic. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “altruistic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/altruistic.
Source: altruistic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.