altruism

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 21, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>altruism</strong> &#149; \AL-troo-iz-um\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p><strong>1 :</strong> unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others</p> <p><strong>2 :</strong> behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits others of its species</p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>Julian's <em>altruism</em> is evident in the way he spends his time, including the ten hours per week that he spends volunteering at the homeless shelter.</p> <p>"To that end, he advises his congregants to quit pursuing material desires and refocus their energies on acts of kindness and <em>altruism</em> that provide long-term happiness." — Ralph Mancini, <em>The Leader-News</em> (Washburn, North Dakota), 25 Mar. 2021</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Altruism</em> refers to a quality possessed by people whose focus is on something other than themselves, and its root reveals the object of those generous tendencies. <em>Altruism</em> derives from the French word <em>autrui</em>, meaning "other people." <em>Autrui</em>, in turn, developed from the Old French term <em>autre</em>, which means "other" and which itself comes from Latin <em>alter</em>, also meaning "other." That Latin source eventually caused a curious thing to happen. Under the influence of <em>alter</em>, the French <em>autrui</em> gave rise to the <em>altrui-</em> of both the French <em>altruisme</em> and the English <em>altruism</em>. The English term has been in service since at least the mid-1800s.</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>