unselfish

1 of 2

adjective

un·​self·​ish ˌən-ˈsel-fish 

: not selfish : generous

unselfishly adverb

unselfishness noun

unselfishness

2 of 2

noun

un·​selfishness

"+

: the quality or state of being unselfish

Synonyms of unselfish

Adjective

• generous
• charitable

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

Adjective

Lewandowski's unselfish pass to a wide-open Haile-Selassie at the back post capped the scoring in the 88th minute. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Apart from the group’s buy-in to doing the little things, its commitment to unselfish football keeps one of the most dynamic running games in the country from fracturing. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

And even with an unselfish roster, what does the offensive hierarchy look like? — Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

The guys are unselfish and love each other, care about each other. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1698, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unselfish

• selfish

Kids Definition

unselfish

adjective

un·​self·​ish ˌən-ˈsel-fish 

ˈən-

: not selfish : generous

unselfishly adverb

unselfishness noun