A wealthy person who gives money and help to charitable causes and people in need, motivated by love for humanity.
From Greek 'philanthropia,' combining 'philo' (love) and 'anthropos' (human being). The word entered English in the 1600s as humanitarian values became more prominent in European thought.
A philanthropist literally 'loves humans' (that's what 'philo' + 'anthropos' means in Greek), but the word didn't really catch on in English until wealthy people needed a fancy name for what they did!
Philanthropy historically celebrated male donors; female philanthropists were often anonymous, married into wealth, or obscured by husbands' names, making their independent agency invisible.
Use equally for all genders; when citing philanthropists, credit women by their own names and initiatives.
Women philanthropists (e.g., Madam C.J. Walker, Melinda Gates) built movements but were historically undercredited; naming them restores agency.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.