philanthropist
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of philanthropist
First recorded in 1720–30; philanthrop(y) + -ist
Explanation
A philanthropist is a person who gives money or gifts to charities, or helps needy people in other ways. Famous examples include Andrew Carnegie and Bill & Melinda Gates. In English, the -ist suffix describes a person who does a particular action. A philanthropist practices philanthropy. Philanthropists are wealthy people with a generous nature and a concern for human welfare. Philanthropy is from Late Latin philanthrōpia, from Greek, from philanthrōpos "humane, kind," from the prefix phil- plus anthrōpos "man, mankind."
Vocabulary lists containing philanthropist
All You Need is Love: Amor and Phil
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Giving Words
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We the People: Anthrop
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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.
Philanthropist Carla Sands, the widow of a real estate mogul, became ambassador to Denmark.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2023
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott says her donations have yielded more than $14 billion in funding for about 1,600 nonprofits since 2019, according to her long-awaited website Yield Giving, unveiled Wednesday night.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 15, 2022
Philanthropist Archer M. Huntington endowed the position in 1937 as the "Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress."
From Salon • Oct. 8, 2022
Philanthropist David M. Rubenstein has pledged $10 million.
From Washington Post • Jul. 18, 2022
He continued the publication of the Daily Herald, and the Philanthropist also, but under the name of "The Weekly Herald and Philanthropist," until 1847.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 104, June, 1866 by Various
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.
