selfless

[self-lis] / ˈsɛlf lɪs /

ADJECTIVE

unselfish

Synonyms

STRONGEST

altruistic charitable generous humanitarian loving magnanimous noble self-effacing

WEAK

benevolent chivalrous denying devoted disinterested extroverted helpful incorruptible indulgent liberal open-handed self-denying self-forgetful self-forgetting self-sacrificing

Antonyms

STRONGEST

mean selfish stingy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Over three days of testimony last week, Musk portrayed himself as a selfless early supporter of OpenAI, saying he contributed $38 million between 2016 and 2020 before being sidelined.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

This "selfless" sharing, known as horizontal gene transfer, can rapidly spread useful traits including genes that confer resistance to antibiotic drugs used to treat infections.

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2026

Anthropic and its chief executive, Dario Amodei, in some accounts, are selfless heroes, acting against the incentives that normally operate in business.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

"It's incredible, it's just the most selfless act," Folan said.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

She would shadow great saints and learn how to do selfless things for the world.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

Vocabulary lists containing selfless

Giving Words

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'Tis The Season: Words For Giving

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You're Too Kind! Synonyms for "Generous"

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