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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

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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

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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

The charity said in its early years it gave financial support to a number of larger community projects benefiting children but there was now an increasing focus on helping individual children and families.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Bass has also used the Mayor’s Fund, a charity fund that the mayor can use to tackle issues around the city, to address homelessness and eviction protection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

These cancers account for about 7% of childhood cancers, according to the charity, but experts say diagnosis can often be delayed because symptoms resemble more common conditions.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Growing financial pressures across the charities sector has been evident in recent months, including the closure of suicide prevention charity Papyrus in September.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

We can't spend the rest of our lives relying on charity.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

Charity leaders have said the changes were to reach more students, not to cut funding.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

After the ruling, the Charity Commission said its disqualification of Campbell had been made on the "evidence available to us at the time".

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

The Charity Commission opposed Campbell's challenge and said the five-year ban should be upheld.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

The Charity Commission watchdog had banned Campbell in 2024 after identifying "multiple instances of misconduct" at her charity, Fashion for Relief.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

But if Charity has learned anything in all her years, it’s to keep a calm head—especially in the face of utter chaos.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Duwai's vision for a plentiful marine habitat that would sustain his village of 147 people has now received global praise, with academics and charities seeking his insights.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Women's health creators and charities have told us their content has been removed, had sensitivity filters added, or had its reach suppressed - a practice known as "shadowbanning".

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Associations in the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, France and the Netherlands – which contributed significant funds to the organisation's budget – have since decided to leave the federation and become independent charities.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Kleger-Heine reiterated the employees’ concerns a couple of weeks later in a complaint to the charities division of the California attorney general’s office, a copy of which she shared with The Times.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Sure, I could fight with the bank, or plead with the charities.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

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Related Words

• donation
• endowment
• fund
• philanthropy

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