humanitarian
Americanadjective
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having concern for or helping to improve the welfare and happiness of people.
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of or relating to ethical or theological humanitarianism.
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pertaining to the saving of human lives or to the alleviation of suffering.
a humanitarian crisis.
noun
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humanitarians
plural
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a person actively engaged in promoting human welfare and social reforms, as a philanthropist.
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a person who professes ethical or theological humanitarianism.
adjective
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having the interests of mankind at heart
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of or relating to ethical or theological humanitarianism
noun
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a philanthropist
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an adherent of humanitarianism
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of humanitarian
First recorded in 1810–20; humanit(y) + -arian
Explanation
Despite many jokes to the contrary, a humanitarian is not someone who eats humans (as a vegetarian eats vegetables)! A humanitarian is a person concerned with the welfare of all humankind. A millionaire would be considered a great humanitarian if he donated much of his wealth for improving education, housing, and food for the poor. As an adjective, humanitarian is used to describe something or someone who displays the characteristics of someone concerned with human welfare: "The humanitarian project was developed to help women become self-sufficient in third world countries."
Vocabulary lists containing humanitarian
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Power Suffix: -arian
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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.
See Examples For:
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said drone activity and air strikes were putting civilians, vital infrastructure and aid operations at risk, while insecurity and road closures were restricting humanitarian movements.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Davis was also criticised for a report he worked on about food availability in Gaza and humanitarian law, published in May.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
"We weren't allowed to make any references to humanitarian law."
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
I will tell you, I’ve led with the humanitarian thing.
From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026
Those who are fortunate enough to secure asylum status receive humanitarian aid and assistance with establishing a new life in Europe.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
One project uses AI analysis of anonymised mobile phone data to spot mass-population movements during disasters, determining where people are fleeing, to help humanitarians better tailor their response.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
But thank God we have humanitarians like Jeff and Janine Yass who still believe in lifting them up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
"The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan and ensure the protection of civilians, health workers, and humanitarians," he said.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
By early January, humanitarians were preparing to expand operations.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2025
This circular ran counter alike to the jealousy of patriots and to the sentiment of humanitarians.
From Fifteen Chapters of Autobiography by George William Erskine Russell
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.
