English · Word Candidate

humanitarian

/hjʊˌmæ.nɪˈtɛː.ɹɪ.ən/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: humanitarians

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Relating to people's welfare.

Adjective

Examples

So far as the followers of Jesus have woven the humanitarian teachings of their master into the living fibre of their own daily lives, the Christian religion has been a blessing and a civilizer.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Relating to people's welfare. — Being compassionate or humane.

Adjective

Examples

[T]his most painful condition [a fractured arm], [...] was brought about through the humanitarian act of saving, and restoring to life, the angelic form of a creature whose very existence was a gigantic balm of Gilead to the lacerated body of our hero, [...]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

A person concerned with people's welfare; a do-gooder or philanthropist.

Noun

Examples

But if we doubt the humanity of the social theories of [Bartolomé de] Las Casas, and the humanitarians of the sixteenth century, what verdict may not posterity accord to those of [William] Wilberforce and the humanitarians of the nineteenth century, when it contemplates the results of their social e

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

Synonym of humanist (“a person who believes in the philosophy of humanism”).

Noun

Examples

Therefore, Humanitarians alone devote their present lives to create heavens within themselves and others, and a real paradise upon earth, because they do not waste their time with Pagan delusions, Sceptical doubts, and Atheistical selfishness, but live happily in the present by preparing for themsel

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “humanitarian” mean?

Relating to people's welfare.

Is “humanitarian” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.