Philanthropist Meaning
/fəˈlænθrəpəst/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA person who loves humankind in general.
nounA person or institution who seeks to improve the world, especially by monetary gifts.
Sentence Examples
The philanthropist tried to use her wealth to help people in need.
Sami is a philanthropist.
CEFR Practice Quiz
A wealthy individual who donates large sums to charity is known as a ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The renowned ____ funded the construction of a new library in every district of the city.
Word Origin & History
From philanthropy + -ist; compare French philanthrope.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[…]and with a passing vague wonder as to what manner of man the ‘philanthropist’ might be who had more money than he knew what to do with,[…]"
— 1895, Marie Corelli, The Sorrows of Satan: or The Strange Experience of One Geoffrey Tempest, Millionaire […], 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, published 1896, →OCLC, page 15:
"He was a noted philanthropist, and played a public-spirited part in the support of the Army during the Crimean War."
— 1960 March 26, N. Caplan, “The Railway Member of Parliament”, in Railway Magazine, page 209:
"It is not uncommon for young philanthropists to retool their giving as they learn from their mistakes. Many other charities have only a single focus. But it has been jarring to allies of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to see such a wholesale discarding and downplaying of its prior work, especially given how public it had been about its goals."
— 2025 June 28, Theodore Schleifer, Eli Tan, Mike Isaac, “Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Narrow CZI’s Focus to Science Efforts”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
A wealthy individual who donates large sums to charity is known as a ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The renowned ____ funded the construction of a new library in every district of the city.