endowment

American  

[en-dou-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

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

See Examples For:

endowment endowments

The civil grand jury recommendation comes as the city remains in a legal dispute over a $50-million endowment with the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., a longtime fundraising partner.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

The University of North Carolina system invested early in Peter Thiel’s venture firm, Founders Fund, and has about 10% of its endowment in the company, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

As Tuohey indicated, the policy change reflects financial strains affecting the endowment, which supports 65% of the university’s operating budget.

From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026

Princo, as the endowment manager is known, still won’t invest in companies involved in thermal coal and tar sands, as directed by the university’s Board of Trustees.

From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 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

“What happened during that period was that a consensus emerged,” Eustis said, noting that it was expressed in the form of national endowments, state arts agencies, public policy institutes and corporate philanthropic departments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Through more than two decades as a private company, SpaceX has raised billions of dollars from shareholders that include many of the world’s largest money managers, from mutual funds to big endowments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

Home and car insurers are joining other deep-pocketed institutions from life insurance companies to university endowments in snapping up private investments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

Darsana’s clients have included the endowments of Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania, according to regulatory filings reviewed by fund-data tracker Old Well Labs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 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

Related Words

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