philanthropy
- 01 C1 Advanced
the act of giving away money or help to improve the lives of others.
benevolent altruism intended to increase the well-being of humankind, often through significant financial contributions.
Simple“The billionaire is famous for his philanthropy, giving millions to schools and hospitals.”
In context“Modern philanthropy has shifted toward strategic giving, where donors seek to address the root causes of social inequality rather than just providing immediate relief.”
UsageUncountable when referring to the general practice or spirit of giving.
SynonymsAntonymsmisanthropyselfishness - 02 C2 Proficiency
a specific act of helping others or a foundation that gives money to good causes.
a specific philanthropic act or a charitable foundation established for the public good.
Simple“Her many philanthropies include a foundation that protects the local forest.”
In context“The family's various philanthropies are managed by a board of trustees who oversee the distribution of annual grants.”
UsageCountable in this sense; often used in the plural to describe multiple projects or organizations.
Synonyms
“The portal came out of the Colorado Housing Consortium , a coalition launched in 2025 that brings together more than 120 people from state and local government, developers, lenders, philanthropies and nonprofits.”
“Carnegie’s major outlet for doubts about his wealth came through philanthropy, prominently the construction of libraries for working people.”
Borrowed from Late Latin philanthrōpia, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek φιλανθρωπία (philanthrōpía). By surface analysis, phil- + -anthropy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.