philanthropist

American  

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

noun

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

• philanthropistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of philanthropist

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

Example Sentences

He was a notable philanthropist with a special passion for education, as he showed in op-eds promoting reform in our pages over the years.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We get pitched a lot,” said entrepreneur and philanthropist Vinod Gupta, who started his family office, Everest Group, more than a decade ago with more than $100 million, after selling one of his companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dell Technologies and philanthropists Michael and Susan Dell are donating $6.25 billion to the program for 25 million children not eligible for federal funding.

From Barron's

The title of the building isn’t a casual naming of the kind that happens when philanthropists donate to a museum and are honored with a wing named after them.

From The Wall Street Journal

We must honor those we mourn: a Holocaust survivor, a 10-year-old girl, a beloved rabbi, a Jewish philanthropist, a young tourist, a brave police officer and others whose lives were cut short.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• benefactor
• contributor
• donor
• patron