Definitions

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

The pair's selfless actions, sacrificing their own race times, prompted cheers from the crowd who were lining the finishing straight.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 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

“You know, I sacrificed a lot to have children. Being a mother is truly one of the most selfless jobs you can do.”

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

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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