DictionaryAI

humanitarian

hyoo-ma-ni-TAIR-ee-uhn/hjuˌmæ.nəˈtɛ.ɹi.ən/UKhyuu-ma-ni-TAIR-ee-uhn/hjʊˌmæ.nɪˈtɛː.ɹɪ.ən/

Noun pluralhumanitarians

7 meanings of humanitarian

Practice

  1. 1
    adjective
    Connected with helping people who are suffering or in need.

    Trucks carried humanitarian supplies to families who lost their homes in the flood.

    The two countries opened the border for humanitarian reasons during the war.

    Note
  2. 2
    adjective
    Kind and caring, wanting to ease other people's suffering.

    The judge made a humanitarian choice and let the sick man go home to his family.

    Letting the tired workers rest early was a humanitarian decision.

    Similarhumane, compassionate, benevolent, charitable, philanthropic

    Oppositeinhumane, cruel, callous, brutal

  3. 3
    nouncountable
    A person who works to help other people, especially those who are poor or suffering.

    The famous humanitarian gave most of her money to build hospitals for the poor.

    Local humanitarians collected food and blankets for the flood victims.

    Similarphilanthropist, altruist, benefactor

    Oppositemisanthrope

    Note
  4. 4
    adjectivehistorical
    Connected with humanism, a way of thinking that puts human values and reason first.

    The humanitarian thinkers of that age trusted human reason more than old traditions.

    His humanitarian ideas focused on what people can learn and achieve on their own.

    Similarhumanist

    Note
  5. 5
    nounhistoricalcountable
    A person who follows humanism, a belief that puts human values and reason first.

    The old professor was a humanitarian who believed people could solve their own problems through reason.

    Many humanitarians of that time left the church and put their faith in human progress.

    Similarhumanist

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 6
    adjectiverare
    Connected with the belief that Jesus was only a human being, not God.

    The small group held humanitarian views and taught that Jesus was a man like any other.

    [Y]ou muſt have recourſe to pretty ſtrong figure to reconcile that belief to humanitarian tenets, from this beautiful and ſublime chapter.
    1793, F[rancis] Randolph, Scriptural Revision of Socinian Arguments VindicatedHere, humanitarian means holding that Jesus was only a human being, not God.
    Note
  2. 7
    nounrarecountable
    A person who believes that Jesus was only a human being, not God.

    The young humanitarian argued that Jesus was a great teacher but not God.

    But it will be demanded, how happened it that Irenæus, the pupil of that Polycarp who is repreſented to have been a Humanitarian, ſhould become a zealous advocate for the Deity of Chriſt?
    [1792], Benjamin Hobhouse, A Reply to the Rev. F[rancis] Randolph’s Letter to the Rev. Dr. [Joseph] PriestleyHere, Humanitarian means a person who believes Jesus was only human, not God.
    Note

Practice

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Origin

From 'humanity' plus '-arian', a suffix for someone who supports or believes in something. It may have been made to look like 'Unitarian'.