philanthropist
Americannoun
-
philanthropists
plural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing philanthropist
All You Need is Love: Amor and Phil
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Giving Words
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We the People: Anthrop
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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:
Quinn Delaney, a major Democratic donor and fundraiser for former President Obama, and Patty Quillin, a major philanthropist and wife of Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, both have given $1.5 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
His forebear Moses Montefiore was a British philanthropist who in 1840 helped secure the release of imprisoned Damascene Jews accused of blood libel—the false claim that Jews used Christian blood to bake matzo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
A former farmer, philanthropist, and sheriff, the younger Buffett brings more than three decades of board experience to the role.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
And who were they to believe: Bill Cosby, TV icon, philanthropist and national father figure, or a lowly office worker at his alma mater?
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2018
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
Whether the goal is to make the best better or to beat them, philanthropists who want to improve higher education should follow Mr Griffin’s lead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The Microsoft founder and one of the world’s biggest philanthropists warns that artificial intelligence could be either a “great equalizer” or a force that widens the world’s inequality gap.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Parton was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022, which honoured her as "one of the entertainment world's most generous philanthropists".
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
In retirement, "Boss Zhu" published a number of books of speeches on economic reform, and was listed as one of the country's top philanthropists.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
He was also among a handful of philanthropists who helped to fund the education of the nation’s Colored citizens.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
