as in donors
a wealthy person who gives money and time to help make life better for other people
a philanthropist known to generously donate to those organizations that help the poor
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Recent Examples of philanthropists
Davosians — heads of state, business leaders, technologists, philanthropists and billionaires — convene alongside spectacle.
—
Victoria Bousis, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
The gathering included business leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, philanthropists and media professionals from across the region.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 9 Mar. 2026
Tech execs in their 30s and 40s mingle with local artists and philanthropists—and yes, that just might be Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel in the corner, but the crowd doesn’t seem to care.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
The design was specified for Frank Sinatra’s office, Haines’s own Brentwood home, and Sunnylands, the 1960s Rancho Mirage estate of philanthropists Walter and Leonore Annenberg.
—Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 19 Feb. 2026
The philanthropists will drill holes with their pro device and lend equipment to deserving anglers.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Pledges are pouring in from philanthropists and corporate America, potentially expanding the program’s reach.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
The once-esoteric field is now attracting tech bros, venture capitalists and philanthropists like Bill Gates.
—Frances Stead Sellers, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Milwaukee-area philanthropists Barri and Dave Drury have made a $10 million gift to Children's Wisconsin to support pediatric research, one of the largest donations for research the health system has received.
—Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Victoria Bousis, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
The gathering included business leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, philanthropists and media professionals from across the region.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 9 Mar. 2026
Tech execs in their 30s and 40s mingle with local artists and philanthropists—and yes, that just might be Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel in the corner, but the crowd doesn’t seem to care.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
The design was specified for Frank Sinatra’s office, Haines’s own Brentwood home, and Sunnylands, the 1960s Rancho Mirage estate of philanthropists Walter and Leonore Annenberg.
—Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 19 Feb. 2026
The philanthropists will drill holes with their pro device and lend equipment to deserving anglers.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Pledges are pouring in from philanthropists and corporate America, potentially expanding the program’s reach.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
The once-esoteric field is now attracting tech bros, venture capitalists and philanthropists like Bill Gates.
—Frances Stead Sellers, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Milwaukee-area philanthropists Barri and Dave Drury have made a $10 million gift to Children's Wisconsin to support pediatric research, one of the largest donations for research the health system has received.
—Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for philanthropists
Noun
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Part of the reason donors were so passionate about keeping him on board for next season, Stewart said, was because of the way Collins carries himself.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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Laura Hyatt, director of the presenting nonprofit organization Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND), said roughly half of the funding for the project came from the Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project, with the rest raised from other foundations and private donors.—
Jane Horowitz,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Additionally, these revenue-sharing numbers don’t include third-party NIL payments, which can provide a significant advantage to schools with a large alumni base — or with wealthy benefactors, which has been the case at Oregon (Phil Knight) and Indiana (Mark Cuban), for instance.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
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PragerU has received major funding from hard-right benefactors, including Betsy DeVos’s family foundation and the billionaire fracking brothers Dan and Farris Wilks.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That’s the gold standard of cancer designations that allows patients and donators alike to understand Sylvester’s standards.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Philanthropists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/philanthropists. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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