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.
The project was funded by a combination of philanthropic and public sources, including support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California State Coastal Conservancy and California Wildlife Conservation Board.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Carhart-Harris is supported by the Ralph Metzner Distinguished Professorship and philanthropic donations to the Psychedelics Division, Neuroscape, UCSF, plus philanthropic donations to the Carhart-Harris Lab.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
The Gallt-y-bere purchase was made possible by a philanthropic loan as well as "generous support" from thousands of people responding to its fundraising appeal, it added.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors. During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the US ambassador,” her office shared.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
But the words of the others were stronger than the strength of philanthropic dollars, deeper than shafts sunk in the earth for oil and gold, more awe-inspiring than the miracles fabricated in scientific laboratories.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
