altruisms

Noun

altruism (countable and uncountable, plural altruisms)

1. Regard for others, both natural and moral without regard for oneself; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness.
   • The 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.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVI, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   selflessness, philanthropy

   Antonyms:

   egoism, selfishness, misanthropy

2. Action or behaviour that benefits another or others at some cost to the performer.
   • Altruism is a behaviour of an individual that benefits another at its own expense.[…]She decided to investigate what motivates ants to undertake these dangerous missions, where they risk getting trapped themselves or, worse, eaten by predatory antlion larvae, which dig pits and lurk...2013 December 24, Laura Spinney, Goodwill hunting: Random ants of kindness, New Scientist

   Synonyms:

   philanthropy