Meaning

noun the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others

noun acting with less concern for yourself than for the success of the joint activity

originEtymology tree English self Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English selfless Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0