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

Academics were useful props as Epstein embarked on a campaign to rehabilitate his image as a science-oriented philanthropist after his 2008 criminal conviction.

From The Wall Street Journal

Murdoch-Mann was an active philanthropist and died on 17 February "surrounded by family" at her home in Palm Beach, Florida.

From BBC

Anna de Peyster, a writer, philanthropist and a former wife of Rupert Murdoch, has died following a long illness.

From The Wall Street Journal

The billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates wrote in a recent memo that climate change will hurt poor people more than anyone else but that the biggest problems they face are poverty and disease.

From The Wall Street Journal

“He was a sounding board for the Enterprises on a variety of subjects, as he was known to be a highly in-demand, influential financial advisor and philanthropist in New York City.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• benefactor
• contributor
• donor
• patron