altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons, by endowment of institutions of learning and hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes.
the activity of donating to such persons or purposes in this way: to devote one's later years to philanthropy.
a particular act, form, or instance of this activity: The art museum was their favorite philanthropy.
an organization devoted to helping needy persons or to other socially useful purposes.
Origin of philanthropy
1600–10; earlier philanthropia < Late Latin < Greekphilanthrōpía love for mankind. See phil-, anthropo-, -y3
c.1600, from Late Latin philanthropia, from Greek philanthropia "kindliness, humanity, benevolence, love to mankind" (from gods, men, or things), from philanthropos (adj.) "loving mankind, useful to man," from phil- "loving" (see philo-) + anthropos "mankind" (see anthropo-). Originally in English in the Late Latin form; modern spelling attested from 1620s.
