humanitarian Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun someone devoted to the promotion of human welfare and to social reforms
    improver; do-gooder.
  2. noun an advocate of the principles of humanism; someone concerned with the interests and welfare of humans
    humanist.
  3. adjective satellite marked by humanistic values and devotion to human welfare
    human-centered; humanistic; humanist; human-centred.
    • a humane physician
    • released the prisoner for humanitarian reasons
    • respect and humanistic regard for all members of our species
  4. adjective of or relating to or characteristic of humanitarianism
    • humanitarian aid

WordNet

Hu*man`i*ta"ri*an adjective
Definitions
  1. (Theol. & Ch. Hist.) Pertaining to humanitarians, or to humanitarianism; as, a humanitarian view of Christ's nature.
  2. (Philos.) Content with right affections and actions toward man; ethical, as distinguished from religious; believing in the perfectibility of man's nature without supernatural aid.
  3. Benevolent; philanthropic. Recent
Hu*man`i*ta"ri*an noun
Etymology
From Humanity.
Definitions
  1. (Theol. & Ch. Hist.) One who denies the divinity of Christ, and believes him to have been merely human.
  2. (Philos.) One who limits the sphere of duties to human relations and affections, to the exclusion or disparagement of the religious or spiritual.
  3. One who is actively concerned in promoting the welfare of his kind; a philanthropist. Recent

Webster 1913