What does philanthropy mean?

Definitions for philanthropy
fɪˈlæn θrə piphi·lan·thropy

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word philanthropy.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. philanthropy, philanthropic giftnoun

    voluntary promotion of human welfare

GCIDE

  1. Philanthropynoun

    An active effort to promote human welfare; humanitarian activity. in this sense, it is an action, not merely a state of mind.

  2. Philanthropynoun

    An organization whose purpose is to engage in philanthropy(2), and is supported by funds from one or a small number of wealthy individuals; a type of charity, the source of whose funds is typically from a wealthy individual or a corporation, or a trust fund established by a wealthy individual. It is distinguished from other charitable organizations in that the source of funds of other charities may come from a large number of sources, or from public solicitation.

Wiktionary

  1. philanthropynoun

    Benevolent altruism with the intention of increasing the well-being of mankind, especially by charitable giving

    As public funding is reduced, we depend increasingly on private philanthropy.

  2. philanthropynoun

    A philanthropic act

    His tombstone lists his various philanthropies.

  3. philanthropynoun

    A charitable foundation

    the Rockefeller philanthropies

  4. Etymology: From philanthropia, from. The prefix phil- comes from φίλος, from the verb φίλω. -anthropy comes from the noun ἄνθρωπος.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Philanthropynoun

    Love of mankind; good nature.

    Etymology: φιλέω and ἄνϑϱοπος.

    Such a transient temporary good nature is not that philanthropy, that love of mankind, which deserves the title of a moral virtue. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 177.

Wikipedia

  1. Philanthropy

    Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material gain; and with government endeavors, which are public initiatives for public good, notably focusing on provision of public services. A person who practices philanthropy is a philanthropist.

ChatGPT

  1. philanthropy

    Philanthropy refers to the act of promoting the welfare of others, typically through the donation of money, resources, or time to charitable causes. It involves a desire to improve the quality of life for individuals or communities, and can be carried out by individuals, organizations, or companies. This act of giving can focus on various areas such as education, health, environment, social services, arts and culture, and more.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Philanthropynoun

    love to mankind; benevolence toward the whole human family; universal good will; desire and readiness to do good to all men; -- opposed to misanthropy

  2. Etymology: [L. philanthropia, Gr. filanqrwpi`a: cf. F. philanthropie.]

Wikidata

  1. Philanthropy

    Philanthropy etymologically means "pretty" in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, and enhancing "what it is to be human" on both the benefactors' and beneficiaries' parts. The most conventional modern definition is "private initiatives, for public good, focusing on quality of life". The word was first coined as an adjective, by Aeschylus in Prometheus Bound, to describe Prometheus' character as "humanity loving", for having given to the earliest proto-humans, who had no culture, fire and "blind hope". Together, they would be used to improve the human condition, to save mankind from destruction. Thus humans were distinguished from all other animals by civilization the power to complete their own creation through education and culture, expressed in good works benefitting others. The Greek word for a philanthropic culture was paideia. The first use of the noun form philanthrôpía came shortly thereafter in the early Platonic dialogue Euthyphro, where Socrates is reported to have said that his "pouring out" of his thoughts freely to his listeners was his philanthrôpía. The Philosophical Dictionary of the Platonic Academy defined philanthrôpía as "A state of well educated habits stemming from love of humanity. A state of being productive of benefit to humans. A state of grace. Mindfulness together with good works." In the first century BC, both paideia and philanthrôpía were translated into Latin by the single word humanitas which was also understood to be the core of liberal education studia humanitatis, the studies of humanity, or simply "the humanities". In the second century AD, Plutarch used the concept of philanthrôpía to describe superior human beings. This Classically synonymous troika, of philanthropy, the humanities, and liberal education, declined with the Fall of Rome, during the Middle Ages philanthrôpía was superseded by caritas charity, selfless love, valued for salvation. The Classical notion was revived with the Renaissance, and flourished through the 18th century as a central secular value of the Enlightenment, in this spirit it was cited by Alexander Hamilton "This will add the inducements of philanthropy to those of patriotism...." in the opening paragraph of the First Federalist Paper, as a rationale for ratifying our Constitution.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Philanthropy

    fi-lan′thrō-pi, n. love of mankind, esp. as shown in good deeds and services to others: goodwill towards all men.—ns. Phil′anthrope, Philan′thropist, one who tries to benefit mankind.—adjs. Philanthrop′ic, -al, doing good to others, benevolent.—adv. Philanthrop′ically. [L.,—Gr. philanthrōpiaphilos, loving, anthrōpos, a man.]

Editors Contribution

  1. philanthropy

    A person, group, business, company, enterprise or organization that are focused on using their income, money, resources and time to contribute to the cocreating of optimum health, human rights, right to life, civil rights, ethical, fair, just and moral shared prosperity for all, stability, unity government, solidarity, cohesion, animal rights, right to housing, right to free education, right to parent, right to free preschool education, right to a standard of living, creation of living wage, right to internet access, economic stability, financial stability, equal rights, equal opportunities, employment rights, childrens rights, sustainable development, sustainable development goals, united partnership, multi-party working, community empowerment systems, equal distribution of income, wealth, fairness and justness across society, the country, europe and the world and contribute to the cocreation of global and national peace agreements, peace treaties, the universes truth and a fair, just and transparent system of checks and balances.

    The Philanthropy of people is so beautiful to see, our goals are equal and we are focused and achieving them every day.


    Submitted by MaryC on April 15, 2020  


  2. Philanthropy

    Contribution or provision of various resources to a specific cause.

    Philanthropy is an element of the solution to cocreating the world we choose.


    Submitted by MaryC on December 16, 2019  

How to pronounce philanthropy?

How to say philanthropy in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of philanthropy in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of philanthropy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of philanthropy in a Sentence

  1. Phil Buchanan:

    They acknowledged that it takes time to become good at something as difficult as effective philanthropy.

  2. Silicon Valley Apple , meanwhile:

    Being a good neighbor is extremely important to Facebook, it's not just about philanthropy but listening to and working with the larger community to improve and revitalize the local area we share. Facebook and its executives have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to over 50 local organizations, but we understand it's not just about money. Facebook's employees lead by example in sharing time, knowledge and access.

  3. Oscar Auliq-Ice:

    Philanthropy is at its best when it is collaborative and inclusive.

  4. Sara Moss:

    We do n’t think of it as philanthropy. This is citizenship.

  5. Jeff Bezos:

    MacKenzie is going to be amazing and thoughtful and effective at philanthropy, and I'm proud of her, her letter is so beautiful. Go get 'em MacKenzie.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

philanthropy#10000#17655#100000

Translations for philanthropy

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for philanthropy »

Translation

Find a translation for the philanthropy definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"philanthropy." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/philanthropy>.

Discuss these philanthropy definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for philanthropy? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    philanthropy

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    very close or connected in space or time
    A ambidextrous
    B contiguous
    C ultimo
    D aculeate

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for philanthropy: