philanthropist

noun

phi·​lan·​thro·​pist fə-ˈlan(t)-thrə-pist 

: one who makes an active effort to promote human welfare : a person who practices philanthropy

Did you know?

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

Among his converts was Arthur Tappan, a New York textile merchant and philanthropist who sheltered and guided the development of the antislavery movement through its long early years by dint of sheer openhandedness. —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

Recent Examples on the Web

This week alone, several higher education institutions announced major gifts from the billionaire philanthropist and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos—donations totaling well over $100 million. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025

This donation is part of a series of multimillion-dollar unrestricted donations to historically Black colleges and universities across the country from the billionaire philanthropist. —Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025

Lynn Zovighian is a philanthropist, humanitarian diplomat and founder of the Zovighian Public Office, partnering with communities facing genocide and crises in the Middle East and South Caucasus through research, culture and diplomacy. —Lynn Zovighian, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

Berry’s speech layered personal anecdotes from her childhood, and observations from her career and work as a philanthropist and activist. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see philanthropy

First Known Use

circa 1730, in the meaning defined above