philanthropist
noun
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The Greek root of philanthropy may be literally translated as "loving people." The English word can refer to general goodwill to one's fellow people, as well as to the active effort to promote the welfare of people, but in modern use it is most often used to refer specifically to the practice of giving money and time to help make life better for others. A person who practices philanthropy is called a philanthropist; the term philanthrope was formerly used with the same meaning, but it is now considered archaic.
Examples of philanthropist in a Sentence
Marilynne Robinson, The Death of Adam, (1998) 2005
John D. was indisputably a great philanthropist. He took care of his family first, of course; but he founded the University of Chicago in 1892, the Rockefeller Institute (now Rockefeller University) in 1901, and the Rockefeller Foundation in 1911, and made other substantial gifts along the way.
—Robert M. Solow, New Republic, 23 Dec. 2002
You had to admire it and admire the man, who sat now like a benign locust, his slender insectile body swamped in a black leather chair, leaning over the desk, all smiles, a parasite disguised as a philanthropist.
—Zadie Smith, White Teeth, 2000
… a hundred-and-one-year-old Jewish philanthropist in Hartsdale named Henry J. Gaisman donated two and a quarter million dollars to the Archdiocese to purchase the property and preserve the integrity of the landmark.
—Brendan Gill, New Yorker, 10 June 1991
Marc Schneider, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024
Demi Moore received the Courage Award and philanthropist Wallis Annenberg was honored with the Unsung Hero Award.
—Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
Now local officials hope a $9 million donation from billionaire, philanthropist and Citadel CEO Kenneth Griffin will help, by expanding intensive math tutoring for students in grades sixth to eighth.
—Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
World Central Kitchen was founded by renowned chef turned philanthropist Jose Andres.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Mega philanthropist Mackenzie Scott strikes again, and this time she’s set her sights on supporting Black mothers and children.
—Essence, 1 Apr. 2024
The activist and philanthropist is married to James Murdoch, the liberal-leaning son of Rupert Murdoch, the founder of Fox News.
—Neda Ulaby, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024
The attorney, tech entrepreneur and philanthropist was previously married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
—Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 26 Mar. 2024
Launched by fashion veteran turned philanthropist Tania Fares last year, Fashion Trust U.S. is a non-profit focused on finding, funding and mentoring new design talent.
—Lindzi Scharf, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'philanthropist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Philanthropist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philanthropist. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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