UNSELFISHNESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does unselfishness mean? 

• UNSELFISHNESS (noun)
  The noun UNSELFISHNESS has 2 senses:

1. the quality of not putting yourself first but being willing to give your time or money or effort etc. for others

2. acting generously

  Familiarity information: UNSELFISHNESS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UNSELFISHNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality of not putting yourself first but being willing to give your time or money or effort etc. for others

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

rural people show more devotion and unselfishness than do their urban cousins

Hypernyms ("unselfishness" is a kind of...):

generosity; generousness (the trait of being willing to give your money or time)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "unselfishness"):

altruism; selflessness (the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others)

Antonym:

selfishness (stinginess resulting from a concern for your own welfare and a disregard of others)

Derivation:

unselfish (not greedy)

unselfish (disregarding your own advantages and welfare over those of others)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Acting generously

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

generosity; unselfishness

Hypernyms ("unselfishness" is a kind of...):

share-out; sharing (a distribution in shares)

Derivation:

unselfish (not greedy)

unselfish (disregarding your own advantages and welfare over those of others)

 Context examples 

With sad hearts we came back to my house, where we found Mrs. Harker waiting us, with an appearance of cheerfulness which did honour to her bravery and unselfishness.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)