philanthropic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonphilanthropic adjective
- nonphilanthropical adjective
- philanthropically adverb
- pseudophilanthropic adjective
- pseudophilanthropical adjective
- pseudophilanthropically adverb
- unphilanthropic adjective
- unphilanthropically adverb
Etymology
Origin of philanthropic
First recorded in 1780–90; philanthrop(y) + -ic
Explanation
Something given to help others is philanthropic. Money, household items, giving your time and energy to a cause — all can be philanthropic contributions. Philanthropic, pronounced "fill-an-THRAW-pick," comes from the Greek word philanthropos "loving mankind, useful to man." Philanthropic organizations work to help people, running their operations by relying on resources donated by people who are able to give. Many charities, museums, universities, cultural centers, and scientific institutions rely on philanthropic support to pay their bills.
Vocabulary lists containing philanthropic
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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'Tis The Season: Words For Giving
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This Week in Words: September 15 - 21, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was a commercial and philanthropic success, earning official praise and continuing to raise funds for years - a lasting testament to his refusal to let war silence music.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
Now Bignell, who Nike said is leaving to pursue his own creative and philanthropic interests, will be the third innovation chief to exit from the role in less than three years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Later on Friday, Nike said its chief innovation officer, Tony Bignell, was departing the company “to pursue his creative and philanthropic passions.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
The housing factory surety guarantee idea is “super innovative,” said Jan Lindenthal-Cox, chief investment officer at the San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund, a nonprofit that directs philanthropic money toward cost-cutting affordable housing projects.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
I began to accept invitations to share my story at churches, synagogues, schools, and political, military, civic, and philanthropic organizations, locally and across the United States and Canada.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
