philanthropist

[ fi-lan-thruh-pist ]
See synonyms for philanthropist on Thesaurus.com
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.

Origin of philanthropist

1
First recorded in 1720–30; philanthrop(y) + -ist

Other words from philanthropist

  • phi·lan·thro·pis·tic [fi-lan-thruh-pis-tik] /fɪˌlæn θrəˈpɪs tɪk/ adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use philanthropist in a sentence

  • But the wisdom of the Estate or philanthropists demands that they should help on the onward path, men struggling to be good.

  • By 1775, there were nine free schools endowed by private philanthropists for the poor and needy.

  • And about this time an unusual thing happened—one of these philanthropists answered his letter.

    Love's Pilgrimage | Upton Sinclair
  • About the time this club was established the kindergarten had been added to the vocabulary of philanthropists.

    The Leaven in a Great City | Lillian William Betts
  • As for the domestic philanthropists, there were so many of them that there was some difficulty in finding Mrs. Gano a seat.

    The Open Question | Elizabeth Robins