Standard Lemma guide

unselfishness

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being unselfish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: selflessness, self-denial

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

acting generously

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: generosity

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sharing, share-out

3

noun

Meaning 3

the quality of not putting yourself first but being willing to give your time or money or effort etc. for others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • rural people show more devotion and unselfishness than do their urban cousins

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: selfishness

Broader terms: generosity, generousness

Narrower terms: altruism, selflessness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English unselfish Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English unselfishness From unselfish + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: uselviskhed — the state of being unselfish
  • Finnish: epäitsekkyys — the state of being unselfish
  • Hungarian: önzetlenség — the state of being unselfish
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uselviskhet — the state of being unselfish
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uegennyttighet — the state of being unselfish
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: usjølviskheit — the state of being unselfish
  • Polish: bezinteresowność — the state of being unselfish
  • Swedish: oegennytta — the state of being unselfish
  • Swedish: osjälviskhet — the state of being unselfish