donation
English meaning: Donation
Definition
A voluntary gift or contribution for a specific cause.
Example
“They were collecting donations for the elderly at Christmas.”
Another example: “After the disaster, donations poured in from around the world.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Neutral; a voluntary gift, usually money or goods, to a charity or cause ('make a donation', 'blood donation'). Common in charity, fundraising and medicine (organ/blood donation). Slightly more formal than 'gift'.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Latin 'donatio' (a giving), from 'donare' (to give), from 'donum' (gift), entering English in the 15th century.
Synonyms
- contribution
- gift
- offering
- grant
Related Words
Common Collocations
- make a donation
- charitable donation
- blood donation
- generous donation
- tax-deductible donation
Word Forms
donate (v); donation (n); donations (pl); donor (n)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B