altruist
UK[ˈæltruɪst]US[ˈæltruɪst]
n
a person who shows a selfless concern for the well-being of others; someone who practices altruism.
Morpheme Breakdown
altru
ist
altru
other
ist
person who practices
Etymology
the word 'altruist' is a 19th-century formation, coined within the context of philosophical and ethical discourse. its core component, 'altru', traces back to the latin alter, meaning 'the other (of two)', which itself originates from the proto-indo-european root al- (beyond). the suffix '-ist', indicating an adherent to a practice, is borrowed from greek -istes. the term was constructed to logically denote 'one who is concerned with the other', directly encoding the ethical principle of selfless regard for others into its morphology. this modern abstract meaning evolved from the concrete, comparative sense of 'otherness' in its ancient roots.
Analysis
Structure: altru (other) + ist (person who practices)
- altru: from french autrui (meaning 'others'), derived from latin alteri (dative of alter meaning 'other').
- ist: a suffix of greek origin via latin and french, used to form agent nouns denoting a person who practices or is concerned with something.
Examples
she was known as a true altruist, always volunteering her time and resources to charitable causes.
the philanthropist's actions were not for fame but were those of a genuine altruist.
in his theory, he contrasts the egoist, who acts for self-benefit, with the altruist, who acts for the benefit of others.