Synonyms of philanthropy

philanthropy

noun

fə-ˈlan(t)-thrə-pē 

1

as in contribution

a gift of money or its equivalent to a charity, humanitarian cause, or public institution

among the industrialist's philanthropies was a college scholarship fund for deserving students from the inner city

Synonyms & Similar Words

• contribution
• donation
• charity
• alms
• benefaction
• offering
• beneficence
• assistance
• legacy
• endowment
• grant
• welfare
• bequest
• aid
• subsidy
• relief
• presentation
• benevolence
• tithe
• present
• dole
• largesse
• handout
• bestowal

2

as in charity

the giving of necessities and especially money to the needy

much dedicated to philanthropy, the industrialist maintains a surprisingly modest lifestyle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• charity
• humanism
• welfare
• humanitarianism
• almsgiving
• donation
• contribution
• altruism
• dole
• benevolence
• grant
• fund
• goodwill
• endowment
• do-goodism
• benefaction
• beneficence
• do-gooding
• alms
• subsidy
• relief

3

as in generosity

the quality or state of being generous

a society dowager renowned for her philanthropy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• generosity
• liberality
• kindness
• munificence
• unselfishness
• gift
• largesse
• bounty
• bountifulness
• generousness
• selflessness
• openheartedness
• charity
• openhandedness
• beneficence
• bigheartedness
• tribute
• kindliness
• extravagance
• lavishness
• wastefulness
• gratuity
• spendthrift
• prodigality
• improvidence
• lagniappe
• squandering
• dissipating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• economy
• selfishness
• conservation
• frugality
• thrift
• parsimony
• miserliness
• cheapness
• meanness
• stinginess
• closeness
• husbandry
• tightness
• saving
• providence
• pinching
• economizing
• conserving
• penuriousness
• managing
• ungenerosity
• skimping
• scrimping
• husbanding
• scraping
• cutting back

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of philanthropy

Rao also stressed the need for philanthropy to adopt an expansive definition of pro-democracy work. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Heising-Simons and the Ballmer Group are among the philanthropies that in part fund Times education coverage. — Emily Woodruff, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Emeritus Warren Buffett, one of the most prominent figures in philanthropy, is reported to have given away $60 billion so far, with most of the rest of his roughly $150 billion fortune slated for philanthropy too. — Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026

But the rest of the world is not just where the needs are greatest—from acute childhood malnutrition to violence against women—but where the gains from philanthropy can be greatest. — David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026