philanthropic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of philanthropic
First recorded in 1780–90; philanthrop(y) + -ic
Explanation
Something given to help others is philanthropic. Money, household items, giving your time and energy to a cause — all can be philanthropic contributions. Philanthropic, pronounced "fill-an-THRAW-pick," comes from the Greek word philanthropos "loving mankind, useful to man." Philanthropic organizations work to help people, running their operations by relying on resources donated by people who are able to give. Many charities, museums, universities, cultural centers, and scientific institutions rely on philanthropic support to pay their bills.
Vocabulary lists containing philanthropic
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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'Tis The Season: Words For Giving
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This Week in Words: September 15 - 21, 2018
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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.
At National Philanthropic Trust, a major DAF provider, donors opened more than 3,700 new accounts in November and December of 2025, an increase of 123% from a year earlier.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
Philanthropic and real estate leaders react with hope and skepticism to Mayor Karen Bass’ plan to use outside donations to buy real estate.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2024
A spokesman for the National Philanthropic Trust, which provides frameworks to help not-for-profit organisations raise money, confirmed it was managing the new fund.
From BBC • Nov. 3, 2023
Philanthropic dollars are especially helpful for land trusts as they get started, while the government can provide the larger-scale funding essential to helping the organizations expand more significantly.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 7, 2023
So this test—they named it the Bernard Lutz Philanthropic Exam, in honor of his philanthropicness—became fairly important in my life.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
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.
