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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

selflessness en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Middle English self English self Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English selfless Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English selflessness From selfless + -ness.

Meanings

  1. (uncountable, usually) The quality or state of being selfless.
    • But the truth is that I came to cherish Japan’s civility and selflessness. 2011 March 19, Nicholas Kristof, “The Japanese Could Teach Us a Thing or Two”, in The New York Times:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
selflessnesses Number=Plur lexicographic

Antonyms

selfishness

Relateds

detachment

Synonyms

unselfishness · self-denial

Translations (19)

uk самові́дданість (quality or state of being selfless) · ko 멸사 (quality or state of being selfless) · fa ایثار (quality or state of being selfless) · bg безкори́стност (quality or state of being selfless) · es abnegación (quality or state of being selfless) · hu önzetlenség (quality or state of being selfless) · de Selbstlosigkeit (quality or state of being selfless) · fa نوعدوستی (quality or state of being selfless) · fr altruisme (quality or state of being selfless) · pl bezinteresowność (quality or state of being selfless) · es altruismo (quality or state of being selfless) · ru самоотве́рженность (quality or state of being selfless) · es desinterés (quality or state of being selfless) · es desprendimiento (quality or state of being selfless) · ar غَيْرِيَّة (quality or state of being selfless) · be самаадда́насць (quality or state of being selfless) · bg самоотверже́ност (quality or state of being selfless) · ar إِيثَار (quality or state of being selfless) · ru бескоры́стность (quality or state of being selfless)