Regard for others, both natural and moral; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness; -- opposed to egoism or selfishness.

An action or institution designed to promote human welfare.

(LT: alter = another, other) (1) the promotion of the good of others. (2) A selfless and benevolent love for human kind and dedication toward achieving the well-being of people and society.

(1) Acting so as to elevate the interests and welfare of others above one's own. (2) As used by sociobiologists, any behavior pattern that benefits individuals who are not one's own offspring (e.g., an alarm call). Such altruism has biological survival value because the altruist's beneficiaries tend to be close relatives who carry a high proportion of his or her own genes. In cases of reciprocal altruism, altruism is based on the expectation that today's giver will be tomorrow's taker. See also alarm call.

To provide help when it is needed, without any apparent reward for doing so. go to glossary index

any act that benefits another person but does not benefit the helper and often involves some personal cost to the helper

the helping of others without the expectation of a reward. 622

A form of behaviour in which an individual risks lowering its fitness for the benefit of another.