Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One who is devoted to the promotion of human welfare and the advancement of social reforms.
  • adjective Showing concern for the welfare of humanity, especially in acting to improve the living conditions of impoverished people.
  • adjective Being a situation in which many human lives are in danger of harm or death.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In theology, affirming the humanity or human nature of Christ, but denying his divinity.
  • Having regard to the interests of humanity, or all mankind; broadly philanthropic.
  • noun In theology: One who asserts the mere humanity of Jesus Christ, and denies his divinity; a Unitarian.
  • noun One who maintains the perfectibility of human nature without the aid of grace.
  • noun One who adopts the doctrine or theory that man's sphere of duty is limited to a benevolent interest in and practical promotion of the welfare of the human race, apart from all considerations of religion.
  • noun A philanthropist.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Theol. & Ch. Hist.) Pertaining to humanitarians, or to humanitarianism.
  • adjective (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.
  • adjective Recent Benevolent; philanthropic.
  • noun (Theol. & Ch. Hist.) One who denies the divinity of Christ, and believes him to have been merely human.
  • noun (Philos.) One who limits the sphere of duties to human relations and affections, to the exclusion or disparagement of the religious or spiritual.
  • noun One who is actively concerned in promoting the welfare of humans and human societies; a philanthropist.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Concerned with people's welfare, and the alleviation of suffering; humane or compassionate.
  • noun A person with such concerns; a philanthropist or do-gooder.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective marked by humanistic values and devotion to human welfare
  • adjective of or relating to or characteristic of humanitarianism
  • noun someone devoted to the promotion of human welfare and to social reforms
  • noun an advocate of the principles of humanism; someone concerned with the interests and welfare of humans

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Coined around 1820, from humanity +‎ -arian.

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Examples

  • Again, we begin with the term humanitarian military intervention: some scholars claim how it is possible when using military and force for a humanitarian purpose.

    NZ On Screen 2010

  • On Sunday, Pope Benedict urged the international community to move quickly to address what he called the "humanitarian catastrophe."

    Kenya Wants to Stop Flow of Somali Refugees 2011

  • U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres asked the international community Sunday to provide quick and generous assistance to Egypt and Tunisia, so that they can cope with what he called a "humanitarian emergency."

    UN: 100,000 People Have Fled Libya into Neighboring States 2011

  • U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres asked the international community Sunday to provide quick and generous assistance to Egypt and Tunisia, so that they can cope with what he called a "humanitarian emergency."

    UN: 100,000 People Have Fled Libya into Neighboring States 2011

  • Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is appealing to the European Union for $135 million in aid to help Italy cope with what it calls a humanitarian emergency.

    Tunisia Deploys Troops to Stop Migrant Exodus 2011

  • U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres asked the international community Sunday to provide quick and generous assistance to Egypt and Tunisia, so that they can cope with what he called a "humanitarian emergency."

    UN: 100,000 People Have Fled Libya into Neighboring States 2011

  • On Sunday, Pope Benedict urged the international community to move quickly to address what he called the "humanitarian catastrophe."

    Kenya Wants to Stop Flow of Somali Refugees 2011

  • U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres asked the international community Sunday to provide quick and generous assistance to Egypt and Tunisia, so that they can cope with what he called a "humanitarian emergency."

    UN: 100,000 People Have Fled Libya into Neighboring States 2011

  • Nearly two million of them have fled and Pakistan is now appealing for donations to aid in what it calls a humanitarian crisis.

    CNN Transcript May 22, 2009 2009

  • Israel has just announced it will establish what it calls a humanitarian corridor to supply the people of Gaza as it continues air and ground offensives against Hamas.

    CNN Transcript Jan 6, 2009 2009

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