unselfish

1 of 2

adjective

un·​self·​ish ˌən-ˈsel-fish How to pronounce unselfish (audio)
Synonyms of unselfishnext
: not selfish : generous
unselfishly adverb
unselfishness noun

unselfishness

2 of 2

noun

un·​selfishness
"+
: the quality or state of being unselfish

Synonyms of unselfish

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Adjective

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Examples of unselfish in a Sentence

Adjective She's a very unselfish young woman. an unselfish man who spends much of his time helping his community
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
However, the unselfish captain has led MLS in assists so far, which may still bode well for South Korea. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 June 2026 Mullins hit, and the captain who so embodies the unselfish, team-first attitude of UConn basketball, is back to try for a third championship ring. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026 Lynch has been unselfish in terms of shining the spotlight on others, and WWE’s best bet is to do that again with a rising talent post-WrestleMania. — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2026 Everybody was completely unselfish. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unselfish

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1698, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unselfish was in 1698

Rhymes for unselfish

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Browse Nearby Words

unselfconscious
unselfish
unselfishly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unselfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unselfish. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

unselfish

adjective
un·​self·​ish ˌən-ˈsel-fish How to pronounce unselfish (audio)
ˈən-
: not selfish : generous
unselfishly adverb
unselfishness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unselfish

Nglish: Translation of unselfish for Spanish Speakers

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