Noun: humanitarian hyoo,ma-ni'teh-ree-un
- Someone devoted to the promotion of human welfare and to social reforms
"The humanitarian volunteered at the homeless shelter every weekend";
- do-gooder
- An advocate of the principles of humanism; someone concerned with the interests and welfare of humans
"The humanitarian devoted his life to improving conditions in developing countries";
- humanist
- Of or relating to or characteristic of humanitarianism
"humanitarian aid"
- [Brit] Marked by humanistic values and devotion to human welfare
"released the prisoner for humanitarian reasons";
- human-centered [US], human-centred [Brit, Cdn], humanist, humanistic
Derived forms: humanitarians
See also: humane
Type of: advocate, advocator, benefactor, exponent, helper, proponent
Encyclopedia: Humanitarian