altruist

noun

al·​tru·​ist ˈal-trü-ist 

: one that adheres to or practices altruism: such as

a

: an unselfish person whose actions show concern for the welfare of others

Kim signed up with Compass, a District-based group that serves the growing number of altruists who donate not only time and money to charity and the arts but also their professional expertise.

—Robert McCartney

b

: an animal that behaves in a way which is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but which benefits the survival of others of its species

Reciprocal altruism refers to the exchange of beneficial acts between individuals, in which the benefits to the recipient exceed the cost to the altruist. … Although the potential for reciprocal altruism exists in many animal societies, most interactions occur between closely related individuals …

—Robert M. Seyfarth et al.

Examples of altruist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But to buy the property at current market rates without jacking up rents, even an altruist would have to come up with some unlikely financial wizardry. —Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024

Education is the cause most favored by altruists on the list. —Forbes Press Releases, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

Didn’t effective altruists do a bunch of crimes a few years ago? —Dylan Matthews, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024

Effective altruists, by contrast, tended to jump at such opportunities — after all, 10 percent better conditions for animals, while hardly perfect, is still better. —Kelsey Piper, Vox, 9 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above