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

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Etymology

Origin of philanthropist

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

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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

"He was criticised by many on social media and our goal was to bolster his reputation as a philanthropist," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Parton died last month at the age of 80, plunging her fans into mourning for a singer-songwriter, philanthropist and businesswoman whom many saw as a unifying figure in a divided America.

From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026

At a fundraising event in July at the Hamptons estate of philanthropist Julia Koch, Garber said Harvard needed their support given the shifting relationship between higher education and Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

He also bought several historic buildings in the resort town of Crested Butte, Colo., where he and his philanthropist wife own a home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

This billionaire philanthropist named Bernard Lutz set it up in conjunction with the public school system, like a school within a school—all you have to do to get in is pass a test.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

A splashy donation to a big-name school, like Griffin’s, can also be a good way for philanthropists to generate headlines and help secure their legacy.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 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

This tactic is creating a new loser in the consolidation of higher education: thousands of philanthropists who have donated billions of dollars to colleges and universities across generations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 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

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Related Words

• benefactor
• contributor
• donor
• patron

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