humanitarian
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /hjʊˌmæ.nɪˈtɛː.ɹɪ.ən/
ipa: [-ɛə.ɹi.ən]
ipa: /hjuˌmæ.nəˈtɛ.ɹi.ən/
ipa: /ˌhjuː.mæ.nɪˈtɛː.ɹɪ.ən/
rhymes: -ɛəɹiən
Forms: form: more humanitarian
form: most humanitarian
Etymology: From humanity + -arian (suffix indicating an advocate of or believer in something), possibly modelled after Unitarian (“Christian who does not believe in the doctrine of the Trinity; pertaining to Unitarianism”) (see noun sense 2 and verb sense 2).
Senses: examples: text: 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.
ref: 1871 July, James G. Clark, Dogmatic and Real Religion. […], [Syracuse, N.Y.]: Syracuse Radical Club, →OCLC, page 3:
text: But though personified, the function of Wisdom is mainly humanitarian: her delights are with the sons of men (Prov[erbs] viii. 31, 32).
ref: 1909, J[ohn] A[llen] F[itzgerald] Gregg, “Introduction”, in A[lexander] F[rancis] Kirkpatrick, editor, The Wisdom of Solomon: […] (The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, →OCLC, page xxxii:
text: There are three divisions into which the purposes of the hospital may be classed: Humanitarian, educational and scientific. The humanitarian relates to the care of the sick.
ref: 1914 January 16, William Henry Welch, “Present Position of Medical Education, Its Development and Great Needs for the Future”, in Walter C. Burket, editor, Papers and Addresses by William Henry Welch: In Three Volumes, volume III, Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins Press, published 1920, →OCLC, page 115:
text: If a Protecting Power has not been designated or accepted from the beginning of a situation referred to in Article 1, the International Committee of the Red Cross, without prejudice to the right of any other impartial humanitarian organization to do likewise, shall offer its good offices to the Parties to the conflict with a view to the designation without delay of a Protecting Power to which the Parties to the conflict consent.
ref: 1977 June 8, “Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977”, in International Committee of the Red Cross, archived from the original on 01 Aug 2020, article 5(3):
text: The devastating effect of the violence is illustrated by the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe of the 1994 Rwandan genocide that caused deaths, homelessness, despair, poverty, political instability, and economic stagnation in this country.
ref: 2007, Gabriel Andrew Msoka, “General Conclusion”, in Basic Human Rights and the Humanitarian Crises in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ethical Reflections (Princeton Theological Monograph Series; 74), Eugene, Or.: Pickwick Publications, Wipf and Stock Publishers, →ISBN, page 169:
text: Legal scholars and jurists have produced a wealth of material which explores whether armed humanitarian interventions are in line with international law and whether attacks on civilians or non-military targets breach international humanitarian law.
ref: 2015, Jenny H. Peterson, “Introduction”, in Roger Mac Ginty, Jenny H. Peterson, editors, The Routledge Companion to Humanitarian Action (Routledge Companions), Abingdon, Oxfordshire; New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 1:
text: Musk said he checked with Trump “a few times” and Trump confirmed he wants to shut down the agency, which dispenses billions in humanitarian aid and development funding annually.
ref: 2025 February 2, Jennifer Hansler and Alex Marquardt, “Senior USAID security officials put on leave after attempting to refuse Musk’s DOGE access to agency systems”, in CNN:
glosses: Relating to people's welfare.
examples: text: [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, [...]
ref: 1872, S[imon] M[ohler] Landis, “Deacon Stew Raves at Lucinda’s Love for Victor”, in […] The Social War of the Year 1900; or, The Conspirators and Lovers!, Philadelphia, Pa.: Landis Publishing Society, […], →OCLC, page 20:
text: Dr. John Fothergill, eighteenth century Quaker physician, was eminent in the practice of medicine, active in the religious Society of Friends, and prominent in the humanitarian and charitable philanthropies of his time.
ref: 1980 September 13–14, K. Garth Huston, “Bibliographical Note”, in John Fothergill, Observations on the Recovery of a Man Dead in Appearance by Distending the Lungs with Air, Van Nuys, Calif.: K. Garth Huston […], →OCLC:
glosses: Relating to people's welfare.
Being compassionate or humane.
examples: text: I might further object that ſome Humanitarians would tell you that the doctrine of the atonement is perfectly compatible with the ſimple humanity of Chriſt, ſo that to every perſon of the Humanitarian perſuaſion the former tenet does not appear "mockery and deluſion."
ref: [1792], Benjamin Hobhouse, “Letter V”, in A Reply to the Rev. F[rancis] Randolph’s Letter to the Rev. Dr. [Joseph] Priestley; or, An Examination of the Rev. F. Randolph’s “Scriptural Revision of Socinian Arguments:” […], Trowbridge, Wiltshire: […] Abraham Small, for T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, section IV (Of Your Comments upon the Following Extract from Dr. Priestley’s Letter to Dr. [Richard] Price, Page 45), page 85:
text: [Y]ou muſt have recourſe to pretty ſtrong figure to reconcile that belief to humanitarian tenets, from this beautiful and ſublime chapter.
ref: 1793, F[rancis] Randolph, Scriptural Revision of Socinian Arguments Vindicated, against the Reply of Benjamin Hobhouse, Esq., Bath, Somerset: […] R. Cruttwell, for T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, pages 147–148:
topics: Christianity
glosses: Of or pertaining to the belief that Jesus Christ is fully human and not divine.
examples: text: By the study of natural laws, Humanitarian philosophers know how to distinguish those thoughts, desires and actions which are rewarded, from those that are corrected, and Humanitarian philosophers are thus, next to the God of Nature, the safest guides and greatest benefactors of mankind; for, not a single individual, still less Society, can improve without the Humanitarian philosophy, as it alone is based on the only infallible criterion.
ref: 1876, Joachim Kaspary, Natural Laws; or The Infallible Criterion, London: J. A. Brook & Co., […], →OCLC, pages 3–4:
topics: human-sciences
philosophy
sciences
glosses: Synonym of humanist (“relating to humanism”).
synonyms: word: humanist
extra: relating to humanism
Derived terms: word: antihumanitarian
word: humanitarian corridor
word: humanitarian crisis
word: humanitarian intervention
word: humanitarianise
word: humanitarianize
word: humanitarianising
word: humanitarianizing
word: humanitarianism
word: humanitarianist
word: humanitarianization
word: humanitarianly
word: humanitarianness
word: international humanitarian law
word: nonhumanitarian
word: unhumanitarian