humanitarian

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hu·man·i·tar·i·an

(hyo͞o-măn′ĭ-târ′ē-ən)

One who is devoted to the promotion of human welfare and the advancement of social reforms.

adj.

1. Showing concern for the welfare of humanity, especially in acting to improve the living conditions of impoverished people.

2. Being a situation in which many human lives are in danger of harm or death: The drought caused a humanitarian crisis.

hu·man′i·tar′i·an·ism n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

humanitarian

(hjuːˌmænɪˈtɛərɪən)

adj

1. having the interests of mankind at heart

2. (Theology) of or relating to ethical or theological humanitarianism

3. a philanthropist

4. an adherent of humanitarianism

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

hu•man•i•tar•i•an

(hyuˌmæn ɪˈtɛər i ən; often yu-)

adj.

1. having concern for or helping to improve the welfare and happiness of people.

2. pertaining to the saving of human lives or to the alleviation of suffering: a humanitarian crisis.

3. pertaining to ethical or theological humanitarianism.

4. a person actively engaged in promoting human welfare and social reforms, as a philanthropist.

5. a person who professes ethical humanitarianism.

[1810–20; humanit (y) + -arian]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	humanitarian - someone devoted to the promotion of human welfare and to social reforms do-gooder, improver benefactor, helper - a person who helps people or institutions (especially with financial help)
	2.	humanitarian - an advocate of the principles of humanism; someone concerned with the interests and welfare of humans humanist advocate, advocator, exponent, proponent - a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea
Adj.	1.	humanitarian - marked by humanistic values and devotion to human welfare; "a humane physician"; "released the prisoner for humanitarian reasons"; "respect and humanistic regard for all members of our species" human-centered, human-centred, humanist, humanistic humane - marked or motivated by concern with the alleviation of suffering
	2.	humanitarian - of or relating to or characteristic of humanitarianism; "humanitarian aid"

humanitarian

adjective

1. compassionate, charitable, humane, benevolent, altruistic, beneficent They will be released as a humanitarian act.

2. charitable, philanthropic, public-spirited a convoy of humanitarian aid from Britain

noun

1. philanthropist, benefactor, Good Samaritan, altruist I like to think of myself as a humanitarian.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

humanitarian

adjective

Concerned with human welfare and the alleviation of suffering:

charitable, compassionate, human, humane, merciful.

Translations

إِنْسَانِيٌّ

humanitární

humanitær

humanitär Menschenrechtler

humanitaarinen

humanitaran

人道主義の人道主義的な人道主義者

박애의인도적인도주의인도주의자

humanitär

มีมนุษยธรรม

hümanist

nhân đạo

人道主义的

humanitarian

[hjuːˌmænɪˈtɛərɪən]

A. ADJ → humanitario

B. N → humanitario/a m/f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

humanitarian

[hjuːˌmænɪˈtɛəriən] adj [aid] → humanitaire
on humanitarian grounds → pour des raisons humanitaires

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

humanitarian

n → Vertreter(in) m(f) → des Humanitätsgedankens

adj → humanitär

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

humanitarian

[hjuːˌmænɪˈtɛərɪən] adj → umanitario/a

humanitarian

→ إِنْسَانِيٌّ humanitární humanitær Menschenrechtler ανθρωπιστικός humanitario humanitaarinen humanitaire humanitaran umanitario 人道主義の 인도주의자 humanitair humanitær humanitarny humanitário гуманный humanitär มีมนุษยธรรม hümanist nhân đạo 人道主义的

humanitarian

adj humanitario

References in classic literature ?

I believe this horrible system which has been carried on for ages is the direct cause of the loss of all the finer feelings and higher humanitarian instincts among these poor creatures.

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The civilized man, the enthusiast of advanced humanitarian ideals thirsting for the triumph of spiritual love and political liberty; and the stealthy, primeval savage, pitilessly cunning in the preservation of his freedom from day to day, like a tracked wild beast.

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Not in horror, however, for since my recently acquired knowledge of the Holy Therns I was prepared for anything in this still less accessible heaven, where all was evidently dictated by a single omnipotence; where ages of narrow fanaticism and self-worship had eradicated all the broader humanitarian instincts that the race might once have possessed.

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The transformation from an English gentleman, impelled by the most humanitarian motives, to that of a wild beast crouching in the concealment of a dense bush ready to spring upon its approaching prey, was instantaneous.

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He had lived too long a beast to feel strongly the humanitarian impulses that were inherent in him--yet feel them he did, for the girl at least.

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She had truly never thought so far as that, and his lucid picture of possible offspring who would scorn her was one that brought deadly convictions to an honest heart which was humanitarian to its centre.

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Some men have but felt some little qualm of kindness towards their fellow-men, and the fact has been quite enough to persuade them that they stand alone in the van of enlightenment and that no one has such humanitarian feelings as they.

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The learned professor assumes that while a long-continued war had strengthened rather than weakened the instinct of paternal devotion, it had also dulled other humanitarian instincts, and raised to the first magnitude the law of the survival of the fittest, with the result that when the exodus took place the strong, the intelligent, and the cunning, together with their offspring, crossed the waters of the Channel or the North Sea to the continent, leaving in unhappy England only the helpless inmates of asylums for the feebleminded and insane.

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Humanitarian consciousness, however, gained greatly during the period.

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He was especially interested in such humanitarian work, and had recently helped to organize the first Brazilian school for deaf-mutes at Rio de Janeiro.

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Seward, humanitarian and medico-jurist as well as scientist, will deem it a moral duty to deal with me as one to be considered as under exceptional circumstances."He made this last appeal with a courtly air of conviction which was not without its own charm.

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The ex- prisoner could moon about the shady lanes for days together in a delicious and humanitarian idleness.