donate

American  

[doh-neyt, doh-neyt] / ˈdoʊ neɪt, doʊˈneɪt /

verb (used with object)

donated, donating

1. to present as a gift, grant, or contribution; make a donation of, as to a fund or cause.

   to donate used clothes to the Salvation Army.

   Synonyms:

   bequeath, present, bestow, contribute

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verb (used without object)

donated, donating

1. to make a gift, grant, or contribution of something; give; contribute.

   They donate to the Red Cross every year.

donate British  

/ dəʊˈneɪt /

verb

1. to give (money, time, etc), esp to a charity

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Other Word Forms

• donator noun
• predonate verb (used with object)
• undonated adjective

Etymology

Origin of donate

1775–85, probably back formation from donation

Explanation

To donate means to give something — money, goods, or time — to some cause, such as a charity. The word has a more altruistic meaning than does simply "giving"; it suggests that you don't expect anything in return for the contribution. The verb donate has always meant "to give," all the way back to the Latin verb donāre, "to give as a gift." Trace it back even further, to the ancient Indo-European roots, and you still have that same feeling to the word — "a gift." But it's more than a gift — it's a gift with the intention of helping. As an African proverb says, "If everybody in town donates one thread, the poor man has a shirt."

Example Sentences

“Infrastructure and public education and parts of healthcare, they really require more sophisticated support from the government to make them work. So you can’t donate your way out of many of these problems.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

I donate to charities and have created a scholarship, but those things don’t make my day-to-day life any happier, more comfortable or more satisfying.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

There are also misconceptions about who qualifies to donate.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

Orla's mother told the outlet that the family had chosen to donate her organs to the hospital to help others.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

I inspired a company to donate some trees.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

Related Words

• award
• bequeath
• contribute
• devote
• give
• give away
• grant
• hand out
• present
• provide