endowment

American  

[en-dau-muhnt] / ɛnˈdaʊ mənt /

noun

• endowments
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• nonendowment
  noun
• reendowment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• endowments
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of endowment

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

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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

See Examples For:

endowment endowments

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology says that its massive endowment, managed by executives who earn more than the university’s president, earned 10.3% during its fiscal year ended in June.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

This helps to explain the uncharacteristically good investment performance of the average college and university endowment for the fiscal year ending June 30.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

The group’s nonprofit wing also reported a 30 percent spike in revenue, bringing in $115 million in 2025 on top of its $81 million endowment.

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026

SpaceX shares represent roughly 10% of the University of North Carolina system endowment, for example, and it gained 37.8% for the fiscal year.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

Even though I had been at Hampden only a few days, I was already accustomed to the official accounts of financial hardship, of limited endowment, of corners cut.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Harvard and Stanford’s endowments, which held big stakes in SpaceX acquired before its IPO, jumped 27.1% and 31.7%, respectively.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The stock has already declined nearly 15% since the beginning of the current fiscal year, which means that endowments with outsized positions are now suffering.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

These higher returns helped fuel an arms race among endowments to make college campuses look like large, pristine country clubs with lax dress codes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

University endowments are notching their strongest returns in five years thanks in part to gains from SpaceX and other AI bets, with Harvard becoming the latest school to report a gain of more than 20%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

In the north, in fact, the areas with the poorest natural endowments and the greatest susceptibility to drought were the most populous and successful.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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Related Words

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

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