donate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have donatedperfect
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has donatedperfect 3rd person singular
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is donatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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donatessingular 3rd person
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am donatingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been donatingperfect progressive
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are donatingprogressive
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donatingparticiple
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has been donatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had donatedperfect
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was donatingprogressive singular
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donatedsimple
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donatedparticiple
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were donatingprogressive plural
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had been donatingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing donate
Giving Words
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Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 15–October 21, 2022
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The latest filings come after the government announced a £100,000 annual cap on the amount that British citizens living outside the UK can donate to political parties.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
Here’s how to donate to your favorite charity instead.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
The researchers also thanked the mothers who volunteered to donate the cord blood used in the study.
From Science Daily • May 25, 2026
The charity’s infamous tune was catchy enough to convince California resident Bruce Puterbaugh to donate a 2001 Volvo XC.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
“And then, once I had a nice chunk, I’d donate it to charity. Or use it to buy a holiday meal for a family in need.”
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
