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• charity
  charity

  noun

  generous actions or donations to aid people who are poor, ill, or needy.
• Charity
  Charity

  noun

  a female given name.

charity

¹ American  

[char-i-tee] / ˈtʃær ɪ ti /

noun

• charities
  plural

1. generous actions or donations to aid people who are poor, ill, or needy.

   to devote one's life to charity.

2. something given to a person or persons in need; alms.

   She asked for work, not charity.

3. a charitable act or work.

4. a charitable fund, foundation, or institution.

   He left his estate to a charity.

5. benevolent feeling, especially toward those in need or in disfavor.

   She looked so hungry that we fed her out of charity.

   Synonyms:

   aid, philanthropy, altruism, almsgiving, quarter, mercy, indulgence, lenity, leniency, clemency, sympathy, pity, benignity, humanity, goodwill, compassion, kindness, kindliness, benevolence, donation, dole, contribution, beneficence, benefaction

   Antonyms:

   malevolence

6. leniency in judging others; forbearance.

   She was inclined to view our selfish behavior with charity.

7. Christian love; agape.

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Charity ² American  

[char-i-tee] / ˈtʃær ɪ ti /

noun

1. a female given name.

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charity British  

/ ˈtʃærɪtɪ /

noun

1. 1. the giving of help, money, food, etc, to those in need

   2. ( as modifier )

      a charity show

2. 1. an institution or organization set up to provide help, money, etc, to those in need

   2. ( as modifier )

      charity funds

3. the help, money, etc, given to the needy; alms

4. a kindly and lenient attitude towards people

5. love of one's fellow men

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overcharity
  noun
• charityless
  adjective
• procharity
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• charities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of charity

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English charite, from Old French charite, cherite, from Latin cāritāt- (stem of cāritās “high price, costliness, dearness, affection, esteem”), equivalent to cār(us) “costly, dear” + -itāt- noun suffix; see cherish, Kama, caress; see also -ity

Explanation

Charity is the donation of something, like money, to a cause or person in need. Before offering charity to someone, make sure he is, in fact, needy, and not just some fashion fiend dressed like a homeless person! Charity comes in many forms including monetary donation, volunteering, or providing clothes and food for those less fortunate. The Greek poet Homer said, “The charity that is a trifle to us can be precious to others.” Think of charity, then, as something that may cost you a little, but can benefit someone else greatly. Charity also refers to a nice way to treat people, an organization that helps people, or a plant with blue and white flowers.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

charity Charity charities

I also volunteer most weekends at Furniture Assist, a local charity that helps provide home furnishings and clothing to people who are financially struggling.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026

Harry was at one time among Britain's most popular royals -- a military and charity trailblazer with the fiery red hair and rebellious streak.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

The Oxfam charity shop in Magdalen Street, where she volunteered, described her as "the sort of person you instantly remembered".

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

One of them was Marcia Zwilling, representing the Diane Warren Foundation, a charity that supports animals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

There were photographs of him at charity fund-raisers, standing next to his parents, wearing no tie at an event where clearly men were supposed to wear ties.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

“It’s difficult to maintain hope amid so much tragedy,” said a nun from Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity congregation, who was consoling survivors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Well, they came here legally,” said Sister Sally Duffy, a Sister of Charity and active participant in the network.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

It comes weeks after it submitted a serious incident report to the Charity Commission over ongoing financial issues.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

In June 2023, she organized a star-studded auction to raise money for the British cancer research nonprofit the Brain Tumour Charity and raised the equivalent of about $93,500.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

The college sophomore Dad Charity introduced Jupe to last year after she sat in on his History of the African American Experience course—Dad’s a professor at Emory, by the way—because he thought they’d “really vibe.”

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Chandrasekaran said the decision to leave in February was because he failed to secure the backing of a board director, whom he didn’t name, despite having the support of two key charities in Tata Trusts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

It also works with other charities, like the Birthday Party Project, which helps families experiencing homelessness with supplies to give their children birthday parties.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

In fact, Citizens Advice, a network of local charities that offers free confidential advice, including on finances, said more paying parents ask it for help than receiving parents.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Suppose a 76-year-old has a $40,000 RMD and gives $15,000 a year to her church and two other charities.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

When he died in 1907, he left his large estate to various charities, including Middlesex County Medical Society.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Related Words

• donation
• endowment
• fund
• philanthropy