philanthropist

American  

[fi-lan-thruh-pist] / fɪˈlæn θrə pɪst /

noun

• philanthropists
  plural

1. a person, typically a wealthy one, who has an altruistic concern for human welfare and shows it by donating money, property, time, or work to aid people in need or to support institutions that serve the public.

   In his private life he was a major philanthropist who spent over $2 billion on causes ranging from education to healthcare.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• philanthropistic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• philanthropists
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

philanthropist philanthropists

Sarah Jane has since carved out a career of her own in New York, working as a model, content creator and philanthropist.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

Fans flocked to her home state of Tennessee to pay homage to the musician, philanthropist and entrepreneur, as President Donald Trump ordered flags on government buildings be flown at half-staff.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

The billionaire philanthropist urges regulation and global coordination to prepare for the likely harms to employment, safety and well-being.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

The hugely successful and popular singer-songwriter and philanthropist took shrewd decisions throughout her career, which made her millions.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Thirty-one Sing Sing wardens had lasted only little over a year; they included a steamfitter, a coal dealer, a horseman, a postmaster, a customs revenue collector, a millionaire and philanthropist, and “assorted ward-heelers.”

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

The Microsoft founder and one of the world’s biggest philanthropists warns that artificial intelligence could be either a “great equalizer” or a force that widens the world’s inequality gap.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Parton was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022, which honoured her as "one of the entertainment world's most generous philanthropists".

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

In retirement, "Boss Zhu" published a number of books of speeches on economic reform, and was listed as one of the country's top philanthropists.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

This tactic is creating a new loser in the consolidation of higher education: thousands of philanthropists who have donated billions of dollars to colleges and universities across generations, reports Douglas Belkin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Only a consummate politician could have balanced the interests of regents, legislators, professors, and philanthropists to build the University of California into the first-class academic institution it had become.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• benefactor
• contributor
• donor
• patron