philanthropist

American  

[fi-lan-thruh-pist] / fɪˈlæn θrə pɪst /

noun

philanthropists plural

1. a person, typically a wealthy one, who has an altruistic concern for human welfare and shows it by donating money, property, time, or work to aid people in need or to support institutions that serve the public.

   In his private life he was a major philanthropist who spent over $2 billion on causes ranging from education to healthcare.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• philanthropistic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• philanthropists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of philanthropist

First recorded in 1720–30; philanthrop(y) + -ist

Explanation

A philanthropist is a person who gives money or gifts to charities, or helps needy people in other ways. Famous examples include Andrew Carnegie and Bill & Melinda Gates. In English, the -ist suffix describes a person who does a particular action. A philanthropist practices philanthropy. Philanthropists are wealthy people with a generous nature and a concern for human welfare. Philanthropy is from Late Latin philanthrōpia, from Greek, from philanthrōpos "humane, kind," from the prefix phil- plus anthrōpos "man, mankind."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

philanthropist philanthropists

A philanthropist or employer may decide to donate to the accounts at any time, meaning the child could get an unexpected contribution.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026

If even a high-profile billionaire global philanthropist is in the dark, what does that mean for the billions of women with less than a fraction of her resources?

From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026

Bill Gates told Congress that Jeffrey Epstein discovered that he had had affairs during his marriage and tried to leverage that information against the billionaire philanthropist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

But Fally Ipupa, who has also worked as a Unicef ambassador and philanthropist, maintains that his number-one mission is to unite rather than divide.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

Imagine that you and twenty casual acquaintances are in a room together, having been brought there by an eccentric philanthropist.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

The ties extend beyond overlapping at religious charities in the orbits of Michigan philanthropists.

From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026

In addition to parents and guardians, employers and philanthropists can also contribute to the accounts, though the money cannot be withdrawn until the child turns 18.

From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026

His wealth enabled him to become one of the largest private landowners and wealthiest philanthropists in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026

Ted Turner created CNN in 1980, revolutionizing the way America, and the world, got their news, and then went on to become one of the most prominent business leaders and philanthropists of his era.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

Lawrence had spent a difficult year cadging money from philanthropists and foundations for a proton accelerator, the purpose of which had to be explained to them in the abstract terms of basic science.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• benefactor
• contributor
• donor
• patron