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
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
Microsoft cofounder and philanthropist Bill Gates is reconsidering the evolving role of billionaires today.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 3 Feb. 2025
How Black Communities Built Their Own Schools Allison C. Meier
August 4, 2020
Rosenwald schools, named for a philanthropist, were funded mostly by Black people of the segregated South.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 31 Jan. 2025
Already in 2025, the university has secured one of its largest-ever gifts — an endowment for a new center on music and social change from Laguna Beach philanthropist Alec Glasser.
—Jonathan Horwitz, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Philanthropist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philanthropist. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.
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