donor

American  

[doh-ner] / ˈdoʊ nər /

noun

• donors
  plural

1. a person who gives or donates.

   Synonyms:

   patron, sponsor, contributor, supporter

2. Medicine/Medical. a person or animal providing blood, an organ, bone marrow cells, or other biological tissue for transfusion or transplantation.

3. Law. a person who gives property by gift, legacy, or devise, or who confers a power of appointment.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the biological tissue of a donor.

   donor organ.

donor British  

/ ˈdəʊnə /

noun

1. a person who makes a donation

2. med any person who voluntarily gives blood, skin, a kidney etc, for use in the treatment of another person

3. law

   1. a person who makes a gift of property

   2. a person who bestows upon another a power of appointment over property

4. the atom supplying both electrons in a coordinate bond

5. an impurity, such as antimony or arsenic, that is added to a semiconductor material in order to increase its n-type conductivity by contributing free electrons Compare acceptor

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donor Scientific  

/ dō′nər /

1. An atom or molecule that releases one or more electrons to another atom or molecule, resulting in a chemical bond or flow of electric current.

2. Compare acceptor See also electron carrier

3. An individual from whom blood, tissue, or an organ is taken for transfusion, implantation, or transplant.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• donorship
  noun
• predonor
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• donors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of donor

1400–50; late Middle English donour < Anglo-French ( Old French doneur ) < Latin dōnātor, equivalent to dōnā ( re ) ( see donation) + -tor -tor

Explanation

A donor is a person who donates something of value to a person or an organization, especially a charity. A wealthy donor might leave her book collection to the local library in her will. Buildings on college campuses are frequently named after generous donors — if you give millions of dollars to your school, they might name the new library after you, crediting you as a donor. Another kind of donor gives blood that can be used for transfusions, or agrees to donate organs after his or her death. Donor comes from the Latin root donare, "give as a gift."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

donor donors

"It's about wanting to help your community, your city and your country," said blood donor Ferney Cabrera.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Jason Alexander, the actor best known for his role on “Seinfeld,” attended and has been a donor for two decades.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Using restricted donor funds to cover day-to-day expenses is tantamount to putting a going-out-of-business sign on campus, so it is little discussed outside college boardrooms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

But a review of FLAG’s finances, donor operations and online donation network reveals a less celebratory picture.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

I emphasized that this anonymous donor had volunteered what was, to her, a small sum and that she wouldn’t miss it.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

"The Taliban have their red lines and we, and our donors, have ours. We discuss approaches so both sides understand where they are coming from."

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

However, Streeting's spokesperson told the paper that the list of donors to the think tank that his team reviewed did not include Bankman-Fried.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

They’re not exactly F1 drivers, they’re certainly not kidney donors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

“But Los Angeles is not for sale — and our grassroots campaign, powered by thousands of small-dollar donors, will continue to ramp up to deliver the change Angelenos are demanding.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

I’ve developed a kind of instinct around donors.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Related Words

• backer
• benefactor
• contributor
• patron