Noun

(en noun)

Regard for others, both natural and moral without regard for oneself; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness; selflessness; contrasted with egoism or selfishness .

*, chapter=16

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=The preposterous altruism too!

* 1995 , George E. Vaillant, The Wisdom of the Ego , page 68,

Altruism' allows doing for others as one would be done by. Unlike reaction formation, which also gives to the object what the self desires, '''altruism''' leaves the self at least partly gratified. Unlike reaction formation, '''altruism''' tempers asceticism with pleasure. Unlike passive aggression and martyrdom, '''altruism''' allows the object to feel blessed and not afflicted. ' Altruism attracts people to the user; martyrdom repels them even as it holds them close in chains.

(biology, sociobiology) Action or behaviour that benefits another or others at some cost to the performer.

* 2013 December 24, Laura Spinney, Goodwill hunting: Random ants of kindness'', ''(New Scientist) ,

Altruism' is a behaviour of an individual that benefits another at its own expense.Being nice to relatives is not pure ' altruism because they share your genes so, by helping them, you promote your own genetic heritage.

Noun

(uncountable) The trait of being willing to donate money and/or time.

* 1963 : Erik H. Erikson, Childhood and Society

We have mentioned generosity as an outstanding virtue required in Sioux life.

(uncountable) Acting generously.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-14, author=(Jonathan Freedland)

, volume=189, issue=1, page=18, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Obama's once hip brand is now tainted , passage=Now we are liberal with our innermost secrets, spraying them into the public ether with a generosity our forebears could not have imagined. Where we once sent love letters in a sealed envelope, or stuck photographs of our children in a family album, now such private material is despatched to servers and clouds operated by people we don't know and will never meet.}}

(uncountable) The trait of being abundant, more than adequate.

(literally, uncountable) Good breeding; nobility of stock.

(countable) A generous act.

* 1873 : Reverend M. C. Tyler, Proceedings at the Laying of the Corner Stone of the Sage College of the Cornell University

May the generosities of the founders of these halls, be rewarded by the fair and holy characters which shall be here formed.