Philanthropist
nounA person who promotes the welfare of others, especially by donating money to good causes.
How to spell philanthropist
14 letters · 4 syllables
How to pronounce philanthropist
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does philanthropist mean?
- nounA person who promotes the welfare of others, especially by donating money to good causes.
Philanthropist in a sentence
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The new hospital wing was funded entirely by a local philanthropist.
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As a philanthropist, she gave millions to fund scholarships for poorer students.
Where does philanthropist come from?
Language of origin: Greek
This word traces back to the Greek philanthropos, an adjective meaning 'loving humankind', formed from philein 'to love' and anthropos 'human being'. The Greeks used it to describe a generous, kindly disposition toward people in general, and the related noun philanthropia named that benevolent spirit. Latin borrowed the family of words, and English took up 'philanthropy' in the 1600s, with 'philanthropist' following soon after to name a person who actively promotes the welfare of others, usually through charitable giving. The same anthropos root powers a whole cluster of English words, including 'anthropology' (the study of humans) and 'misanthrope' (someone who hates humankind), while the philein element reappears in 'philosophy' (love of wisdom). Remembering that hidden 'anthrop' (human) is the key to the spelling, since the tricky middle is really just the familiar word for mankind.
How the word is built
- phil- (loving)
- anthrop (human being, mankind)
- -ist (one who does)
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