humanitarian

noun

hu·​man·​i·​tar·​i·​an hyü-ˌma-nə-ˈter-ē-ən How to pronounce humanitarian (audio)
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 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 And humanitarians have learned the hard way that relief aid and medical supplies can be hijacked by corrupt governments or violent rebel groups. Benjamin A. Valentino, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2011 Saab’s intention for the series was to band a community of humanitarians together over a collective love of food to call for a cease-fire, to increase awareness about the war and to raise funds for nonprofit organizations providing aid to those impacted most by the attacks on Gaza. Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press, 6 Oct. 2024 Legacy Beyond Basketball Beyond his basketball achievements, Mutombo was also recognized as a humanitarian. Casey Murphy, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 Another person speaking at the IBA session, chaired by IBA’s Executive Director Dr Mark Ellis, was Liev Schreiber, an actor, and humanitarian. Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for humanitarian 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'humanitarian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of humanitarian was in 1843

Dictionary Entries Near humanitarian

Cite this Entry

“Humanitarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humanitarian. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

humanitarian

noun
hu·​man·​i·​tar·​i·​an hyü-ˌman-ə-ˈter-ē-ən How to pronounce humanitarian (audio)
yü-
: a person devoted to or working for the health and happiness of other people
humanitarian adjective
humanitarianism noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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