philanthropy
Americannoun
-
altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons, by endowment of institutions of learning and hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes.
-
the activity of donating to such persons or purposes in this way.
to devote one's later years to philanthropy.
-
a particular act, form, or instance of this activity.
The art museum was their favorite philanthropy.
-
an organization devoted to helping needy persons or to other socially useful purposes.
noun
-
the practice of performing charitable or benevolent actions
-
love of mankind in general
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of philanthropy
First recorded in 1600–10; earlier philanthropia, from Late Latin, from Greek philanthrōpía “benevolence, humane feeling”; see phil-, anthropo-, -y 3
Explanation
If you donate money to a charity or volunteer to help people in need, you can call your good deeds philanthropy. Philanthropy is made up of two parts — Greek phil, "loving" and anthrop, "mankind." It refers to the desire to help people or the actual deeds a person does to benefit mankind. Philanthropy most often refers to the large amounts of money the wealthy donate to causes such as world hunger or organizations like museums or animal shelters. A private organization that promotes the welfare of people can also be called a philanthropy.
Vocabulary lists containing philanthropy
The Vocabulary of College
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week in Words: May 5 - 11, 2018
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Federalist Papers, No. 1 by Alexander Hamilton
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Coe died in 2017 and even before that, Pulte’s philanthropy focused primarily on giving cash to individuals rather than charities pushing the theocratic vision common among Fellowship recipients.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026
It was Betty who ensured her sons received serious Jewish educations and helped direct Rothschild family philanthropy toward Palestine long before political Zionism had formally taken shape.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
In the past, Musk has said he sees his businesses as a form of philanthropy, because they are focused on solving major human issues such as climate change.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
What I liked most about his letter, aside from his philanthropy, was his sense of humor.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
Working for the Soros Foundation, a privately funded philanthropy organization, Goldfarb had been focusing on a very specific health crisis—a hundred thousand inmates in Russian prisons with active TB.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
