Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Selfless for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Selfless" — adjective, pronounced /ˈsɛlflɪs/, with the stress on "sel".
Narrator: Selfless means concerned more with the needs of others than with one's own.
Narrator: In plain English, a selfless person puts others first — like a nurse who works through the night to care for patients.
Narrator: It comes from the word self, meaning oneself, plus the suffix less, meaning without.
Narrator: "A selfless act" describes an action done for others' benefit, not one's own.
Narrator: It differs from generous because selfless implies no thought for oneself, whereas generous implies giving freely.
Narrator: "Selfless devotion" is a sense meaning complete dedication to others.
Narrator: Ethics, healthcare, volunteering and literature all rely on the word selfless.
Narrator: So remember: selfless means without self, from self and less.
Speaker A: What does selfless mean?
Speaker B: Caring for others! SELFLESS comes from self plus less, without, so it means concerned more with others' needs than one's own.
Speaker A: So a selfless person puts others first?
Speaker B: Yes — without thinking of themselves!
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "A selfless act"; "selfless devotion"; "a selfless hero" — action, dedication and character.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Don't confuse selfless with selfish, because selfless means caring for others, while selfish means only caring for yourself.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: 'Generous' the giving cousin, 'altruistic' the principled twin, 'unselfish' the plain alternative. The word keeps its giving charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "selfless" in AI prompts — useful for ethics apps and charity tools.
Speaker A: So a prompt could frame ethics?
Speaker B: Right. For an ethics app, you'd write:
Prompt: Write a short guide to selfless behaviour, naming two examples.
Speaker A: How about a charity tool?
Speaker B: Ask the model to describe:
Prompt: Draft a tribute to a selfless volunteer, naming two contributions.
Speaker A: Could it help with a healthcare bot?
Speaker B: Yes, you can frame care:
Prompt: Summarise in two sentences why selfless nurses inspire, naming one trait.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: For a writing chatbot, try this:
Prompt: Write a short scene showing a selfless act, naming one gesture.
Selfless — meaning in Arabic & definition More S courses GL Dictionary