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Definition of altruism. 1  1 : unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others charitable acts motivated purely by altruism. 2  2 : behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits others of its species.
an apparently unselfish concern for others or behavior that provides benefit to others at some cost to the individual. In contrast to selfishness, altruism represents a need to help or assist others, without regard to rewards or returned favors. In animal behavior it is difficult to understand how altruism could evolve since natural selection operates on individuals.