philanthropy

American  

[fi-lan-thruh-pee] / fɪˈlæn θrə pi /

noun

philanthropies plural

1. 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.

2. the activity of donating to such persons or purposes in this way.

   to devote one's later years to philanthropy.

3. a particular act, form, or instance of this activity.

   The art museum was their favorite philanthropy.

4. an organization devoted to helping needy persons or to other socially useful purposes.

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philanthropy British  

/ ˈfɪlənˌθrəʊp, fɪˈlænθrəpɪ /

noun

1. the practice of performing charitable or benevolent actions

2. love of mankind in general

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• philanthropist
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• philanthropies
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

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

But an early QCD can be a good option for people who want to minimize future RMDs, says Julia Chu, head of philanthropy and family governance advisory at Neuberger Berman.

From Barron's • May 9, 2026

Turner’s personal legacy includes a decade-long marriage to Jane Fonda, his third, and a late-in-life shift to philanthropy and advocacy.

From Salon • May 8, 2026

Now, Howard Avenue is just a few blocks from where I live, so I could pretend I belonged to the Howard Avenue Civic League or some other fictitious philanthropy.

From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel

Related Words

• charity
• generosity