endowment

American  

[en-dou-muhnt] / ɛnˈdaʊ mənt /

noun

1. the act of endowing.

2. the property, funds, etc., with which an institution or person is endowed.

   Synonyms:

   bequest, grant, gift

3. Usually endowments. an attribute of mind or body; a gift of nature.

   Synonyms:

   ability, talent, capacity, capability

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endowment British  

/ ɪnˈdaʊmənt /

noun

1. 1. the source of income with which an institution, etc, is endowed

   2. the income itself

2. the act or process of endowing

3. (usually plural) natural talents or qualities

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Other Word Forms

• nonendowment
  noun
• reendowment
  noun

Etymology

Origin of endowment

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Anglo-French endowement; equivalent to endow + -ment

Explanation

An endowment is a gift. It might be money given to an institution like a college. Or, an endowment might be a natural gift, say of a physical attribute or a talent. If you lack the endowment of musical talent, you could play the tambourine. To endow means "to give or bequeath," and the background of the word endowment goes back to the 15th Century, where it was used to refer to money or property that is given to an institution. An example can be found in the National Endowment for the Arts, an organization dedicated to providing grants to fund artistic endeavors. Your natural endowments — speed, agility, endurance — make you an excellent soccer player. If only you could wake up in time for practice.

Example Sentences

“They have been able to withstand the bombing campaign,” said Nicole Grajewski, a nonresident scholar in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Every extra $10 per barrel brings an additional $1.6 billion a month in tax revenues for the Russian government, Sergey Vakulenko from Carnegie Endowment estimated.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Guest: Steven Feldstein, political scientist and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

A recent survey from the National Endowment for Financial Education confirms the pressure that Americans are under.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

I thought of referring that question to the Hampden College Endowment Fund, but I said nothing.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• bequest
• donation
• fund
• funding
• grant
• income
• inheritance
• largess
• nest egg
• pension
• revenue
• stipend
• subsidy
• trust