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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

Women who have attended the sessions say the charity, which would move online only, offers "no judgement" peer support and helps mums feel less isolated when experiencing trauma.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 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

Some hashtags just don't appear on Instagram, said Athena Lamnisos, CEO of gynaecological cancer charity Eve Appeal.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The charity described the firm's practices as "unethical".

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Mom hates charity even more than Dad does, so I thought maybe things would be okay.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

Jane Fisher, chief executive of the ARC Charity, said it was a very difficult situation and that using the right term was really important.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Charity Parkinson's UK welcomed the prospect of more research trials in light of this case and said it could "transform care" for some others with Parkinson's.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 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

“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you water now,” Charity says.

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

Alex Lane, Director of Operations at WWT, said rising costs and the challenge around income means charities like the WWT are facing "increasing pressure".

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

"There is real opportunity in the sector to dismantle the barriers to research that charities, clinicians, and researchers have known about for decades," he said.

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

He was a shrewd businessman, but he also gave a lot of money to charities and supported scholarships through his foundation.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

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Related Words

• donation
• endowment
• fund
• philanthropy

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