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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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
- antihumanitarian adjective
- semihumanitarian adjective
- unhumanitarian adjective
Etymology
Origin of humanitarian
First recorded in 1810–20; humanit(y) + -arian
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.
Both Colombo and New Delhi have said they provided shelter to the Iranian sailors due to "humanitarian considerations" amid fears that they too could be killed in US attacks.
From Barron's
On Monday, five members of the team were granted humanitarian visas to remain in Australia, while the remaining players flew out of the country on Tuesday night.
From BBC
Iran’s women’s soccer team protested their regime while competing in Australia, leading some to seek humanitarian visas amid fears of persecution.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has warned of "a moment of grave peril for Lebanon".
From BBC
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the BBC the war was a "reckless military adventure" and he described the plight of civilians.
From BBC
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.
