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humanitarian
[ hyoo-man-i-tair-ee-uhn or, often, yoo- ]
/ hyuËmĂŠn ÉȘËtÉÉr i Én or, often, yu- /
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adjective
having concern for or helping to improve the welfare and happiness of people.
of or relating to ethical or theological humanitarianism.
pertaining to the saving of human lives or to the alleviation of suffering: a humanitarian crisis.
noun
a person actively engaged in promoting human welfare and social reforms, as a philanthropist.
a person who professes ethical or theological humanitarianism.
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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
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âWasâ is used for the indicative past tense of âto be,â and âwereâ is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Origin of humanitarian
First recorded in 1810â20; humanit(y) + -arian
OTHER WORDS FROM humanitarian
an·ti·hu·man·i·tar·i·an, adjective, nounsem·i·hu·man·i·tar·i·an, adjective, nounun·hu·man·i·tar·i·an, adjectiveWords nearby humanitarian
human interest, human-interest story, humanism, humanist, humanistic psychology, humanitarian, humanitarianism, humanities, humanity, humanize, humankind
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use humanitarian in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for humanitarian
humanitarian
/ (hjuËËmĂŠnÉȘËtÉÉrÉȘÉn) /
adjective
having the interests of mankind at heart
of or relating to ethical or theological humanitarianism
noun
a philanthropist
an adherent of humanitarianism
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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