humanitarian

noun

hu·​man·​i·​tar·​i·​an hyü-ˌma-nə-ˈter-ē-ən 

yü-

: a person promoting human welfare and social reform : philanthropist

recognized as a great humanitarian for her work to end world hunger

humanitarian adjective

humanitarianism

hyü-ˌma-nə-ˈter-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm 

yü-

noun

Examples of humanitarian in a Sentence

She has been recognized as a great humanitarian for her efforts to end world hunger.

Recent Examples on the Web

Steve Witkoff called Vladimir Putin a humanitarian, which had a lot of people shook because, famously, Vladimir Putin also started this war. — Kelli Wessinger, Vox, 31 Oct. 2026

What readers are saying The comments reflect a deep admiration and mourning for Patrick Stewart, highlighting his impact as both an actor and a humanitarian. — Ethan Beck, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2026

And in a region already suffering from aid shortages, and anticipating even greater food insecurity from this year’s El Nino, humanitarians are rightly nervous about a potential catastrophic fallout. — Cameron Hudson, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026

The country music icon and humanitarian died Tuesday at the age of 80. — Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing humanitarian

• anti-humanitarian
• humanitarian parole

Rhymes for humanitarian

• antiquarian
• libertarian
• millenarian
• nonsectarian
• proletarian
• sanitarian
• trinitarian
• unitarian
• vegetarian
• veterinarian
• agrarian
• aquarian

Kids Definition

humanitarian

noun

hu·​man·​i·​tar·​i·​an hyü-ˌman-ə-ˈter-ē-ən 

yü-

: a person devoted to or working for the health and happiness of other people

humanitarian adjective

humanitarianism

-ē-ə-ˌniz-əm 

noun