selflessly

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *swé?

Proto-Indo-European *selbʰ-der.

Proto-Germanic *selbaz

Old English self

Middle English self

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-Indo-European *leyg-der.

Proto-Germanic *līkąder.

Proto-Germanic *-līkaz

Proto-Germanic *-ê

Proto-Germanic *-līkê

Proto-West Germanic *-līkē

Old English -līċe

Middle English -ly

English -ly

English selflessly

From selfless + -ly.

Adverb

selflessly (comparative more selflessly, superlative most selflessly)

1. In a selfless manner; done in a way that disregards concerns for the self and places other first.
   • 2020 January 9, Elizabeth Preston, “Parrots Show Off Selfless Behavior”, in The New York Times‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 12 September 2024:

     They’re the first non-mammals observed helping each other in this way, suggesting other animals have evolved the ability to act selflessly.

Translations

in a selfless manner

• Greek: ανυστερόβουλα (el) (anysteróvoula)
• Italian: altruisticamente (it), disinteressatamente (it)