philanthropy English · revision 1654

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fɪˈlæn.θɹə.pi/ ''(UK)''; /fəˈlæn.θɹə.pi/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la-lat|philanthropia]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|grc|φιλανθρωπία|tr=philanthrōpía|t=kindliness, love of mankind]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''philánthrōpos'' “loving mankind”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) [[af|grc|φιλ-|ἄνθρωπος|tr1=phil-|tr2=ánthrōpos|t1=loving|t2=human being]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) Barnhart says it may have come partly through French ''philanthropie''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Love of mankind; practical goodwill towards people in general (1607–12, first in the Latin form ''philanthropia'').^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The modern spelling is attested from the 1620s (1623).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) The word was also used of the love of God for man, a sense now obsolete.^(OED 1989) In 1884 it came to mean a philanthropic act, movement or agency.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995) Today it means chiefly the effort to promote human welfare, especially by donations of money or work.^(AHD)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1607–12 – love of mankind, as ''philanthropia''.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1623 – the spelling ''philanthropy''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1730–36 – ''philanthropist''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1789 – ''philanthropic''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1884 – a philanthropic act or agency.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The effort or inclination to increase human well-being, as by [[charity|alt=charitable]] aid or donations.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Love of humankind in general; [[goodwill]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An act, gift, activity or institution meant to promote human welfare.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[philanthropist]]

+ * [[philanthropic]]

+ * [[philanthropize]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[misanthropy]]

+ * [[anthropology]]

+ * [[philosophy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}