It’s essential to give back to your community and help people in need. But is there a word for a person who dedicates their time to this pursuit?
Below, we’ve provided a list of words that describe just that, so read on!
Words for Someone Who Helps Others
- Altruistic
- Benevolent
- Philanthropist
- Charitable
- Selfless
- Giving
- Compassionate
- Magnanimous
- Self-abnegating
- Kind
- Good Samaritan
- Humanitarian
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A person who sacrifices themselves for the welfare of others is “altruistic.”
- A “benevolent” person is one who dedicates time to supporting other people.
- A “philanthropist” is a person, usually wealthy, who donates money to good causes.
Keep reading to see our top three words for a person that likes to help others. Plus, we’ll show you a few example sentences using each of them!
Altruistic
“Altruistic” is a good word to describe someone who always wants to help others.
Merriam-Webster defines “altruistic” as “having or showing an unselfish concern for the welfare of others.” Moreover, the Cambridge Dictionary defines this word as meaning “showing a wish to help or bring advantages to others, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself.”
Therefore, being altruistic has very positive connotations. However, it goes beyond simply wanting to help others. In particular, it involves an element of self-sacrifice.
In other words, you would usually call someone altruistic when they are very dedicated to helping others, even at their own expense.
Finally, let’s see this term used in a couple of examples:
She has always been highly altruistic, and she has promised to continue to prioritize human welfare even in her business pursuits.
Their motivations were not entirely altruistic, but many people were helped by their aid.
Benevolent
The Cambridge Dictionary defines “benevolent” as “kind and helpful.” Therefore, “benevolent” is a great word for someone who always wants to help other people, usually through charitable pursuits or financial support.
Therefore, if you know a person or organization that dedicates substantial time to supporting people and communities in need, it would be appropriate to describe that person or organization as “benevolent.”
Have a look at the following example:
He was a benevolent and helpful person who will be sorely missed by his community.
Ever the benevolent one, she would spend hours sewing clothes for those who needed them in town.
Philanthropist
A “philanthropist” is someone who supports others, usually in a financial capacity. Merriam-Webster defines this term as meaning “one who makes an active effort to promote human welfare.”
However, the word “philanthropist” has specific connotations. It usually refers to wealthy people who have a generous nature and are concerned about human welfare. Therefore, the support and help they provide is usually a generous donation to a worthy cause.
In other words, a kind person who helps others in their own community would generally not be called a philanthropist.
Thus, to get a better understanding of how to use this word, check out the examples below:
Mr. Rich was an extraordinary philanthropist who donated thousands to the people displaced by the construction of his factories.
This university was founded by billionaire philanthropist Bill Drake, heir to the Drake fortune.