selflessness C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈsɛlfləsnəs/ UK /ˈsɛlfləsnəs/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun the quality of caring more for others than for oneself Her selflessness in caring for the sick won wide admiration. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the quality of caring more... altruismunselfishnessgenerosityself-sacrificemagnanimity ↔ Opposites selfishnessegoismself-interest Word family Related forms selflessselfselfishness Etymology AI details From 'selfless' (from 'self' + '-less') + '-ness'; 'self' is from Old English 'self', from Proto-Germanic *selbaz. self Old English *selbaz Proto-Germanic View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # selflessness **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈsɛlfləsnəs/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈsɛlfləsnəs/ ## Meanings 1. the quality of caring more for others than for oneself ## Examples - Her selflessness in caring for the sick won wide admiration. ## Synonyms - altruism - unselfishness - generosity - self-sacrifice - magnanimity ## Antonyms - selfishness - egoism - self-interest ## Related Forms - selfless - self - selfishness ## Roots and Affixes - Root: self - Root: *selbaz ## Etymology From 'selfless' (from 'self' + '-less') + '-ness'; 'self' is from Old English 'self', from Proto-Germanic *selbaz. ## AI Etymology Selflessness comes from 'selfless' (from 'self' + '-less') + '-ness'; 'self' is from Old English 'self', from Proto-Germanic *selbaz. The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As a noun, it denotes "the quality of caring more for others than for oneself", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Relevant historical forms include Old English self and Proto-Germanic *selbaz. Related words include selfless, self, selfishness. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown